Home isn't a Place
by wwsadd
Summary: Evie Halloway learned everything she knows from her uncle, the infamous vampire hunter Daniel Elkins, but his last wish shocks Evie. Can she put aside her prejudices and protect those she's been taught to kill? and since when do vampires have golden eyes?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary (because doesn't give me enough room to post under the title):**

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Hey everyone! I'm back, and yes, I plan to finish **_**Blood and Water**_** (those of you that are reading it) and will continue to work on it. The idea for this story just attacked me and wouldn't leave me alone, so I figured I might as well get it started so that I can get to the homework that I can't concentrate on at the moment (because of said story idea).**

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Anyway this isn't my usual kind of story. (Yes, it's a crossover, like everything else) It's sort of an AU. **

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Basically this is another Twilight/Supernatural crossover, with a couple major differences from the last one (**_**Saving Lives**_**, check it out if you haven't!). First off, it's not Winchester-centric. Sam and Dean make various minor appearances, John shows up, yada yada yada. But the main character is actually Daniel Elkins' niece (true Super fans will know who I'm talking about, though it isn't necessary to understand the story line, I think I explain everything pretty well). As far as the Twilight part goes, it revolves more around the La Push gang. In this story Jake never imprints on Nessie (this is before that would have happened, obviously). I was never a fan of Nessie/Jake anyway, (Nessie has her man, and he's no werewolf ****if you're confused read **_**New Magic**_**) so I'm pretending that whole connection doesn't exist in this story.**

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If this sounds like your kind of story, by all means, please read on. And please review!!! I love reader feedback, no matter if you loved it or thought it was total crap!**

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Oh, and obviously, I own absolutely nothing. Poor college students don't even own the bikes they ride around campus on. Anything you recognize from the CW's Supernatural obviously belongs to them, and anything you recognize from the Twilight universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

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Thanks for reading!**

_**~wwsadd**_


	2. Chapter 2

Strangers in the Shadows

"Evelyn! Get down here. There's someone I want you to meet." I groaned. I hated it when anyone used my full name. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Uncle Daniel to call me Evie. Shoving my masses of dark hair out of my face, I rolled off my bed, landed on my feet, and made my way down the ladder that descended from my bedroom in the loft of Uncle Dan's small house.

There was no light except for that which was thrown by the roaring fire. Uncle Dan was in his customary chair, facing a tall dark silhouette. My fingers instantly tensed, and I wished I had a knife in my hands. I'd only been living and training with my uncle Daniel Elkins for a year, but in that year I'd learned that tall plus dark usually equaled dangerous.

"You called for me?" I said, forcing my fingers to relax. My uncle was the best vampire hunter in the country. If this stranger was a threat, he would have had him on the floor with a machete to his throat already.

"John, this is my niece, Evelyn. Evelyn this is John Winchester. A… colleague of mine." He said, motioning me closer. I took measured steps until I was mere feet from the man. My eyes quickly assessed his face, focusing on his eyes. Definitely human. I relaxed.

"Elkins, she's just a child." The man said, his condescending glance in my direction making my small hands ball up into fists again. "How old are you?" He asked, a bit kinder, as he crouched down, so his face was closer to even with mine.

"Thirteen." I answered. Sticking my hand out in front of me formally, I introduced myself. "I'm Evie Halloway. Huntress in training." I said with a smirk. The man's eyes widened for a moment, before he began roaring in laughter.

"Jesus Elkins. Where did this bright idea come from?" He asked. I heard Uncle Dan chuckling quietly behind me.

"She's a quick learner. Her mother, my sister, died just over a year ago. She got stuck with me. I wasn't about to leave her with no training in the lifestyle we lead John. It's asking for trouble." He explained, in his calm quiet voice that never got angry or impatient. I knew it was the other way around though. I may have still been a child, that didn't mean I was stupid. He got stuck with me when Mom died.

But he was the best uncle and teacher that I could have asked for. I'd learned a lot about all the myths and legends of the world. "Trouble's my middle name." I quipped, quoting Uncle Dan whenever I did something that he saw as risky or half-assed.

The stranger laughed again. "Somehow I completely believe that. My boys are a bit older than you, but I reckon you could give 'em a run for their money." He said, his dark, sad eyes crinkling as he chuckled. Straightening up, he turned back to Uncle Dan.

I stepped back swiftly, climbing up on the chair and sitting on Uncle Dan's knee. I knew I was too old for this, but I was small for my age, and besides, this promised to be an interesting conversation. "I know what you said about that coven of vampires in northeastern Washington state, but something weird is going on up there. Are you sure they don't aren't more dangerous than you originally thought?" He asked, after giving me another surprised yet amused glance.

I felt Uncle Dan sigh. "Johnny. They're peaceful. I know that's incredibly hard to accept. Trust me, I'm not one to let bloodsuckers go unpunished, but it would be wrong to hunt them. They aren't a danger, except to the big game of the area, and even then they aren't as bad as some of the more irresponsible deer hunters."

My thirteen-year-old mind was racing. _Good_ vampires? Since when? That went against everything I'd been taught. The stranger seemed to agree with me.

"It's unnatural Elkins. Who's to say they won't decide not to waste the effort and revert? Vampires are naturally predators of humans. Tell me, have you ever had a decent conversation with one of them?" He asked, and his words sounded like a challenge.

It took a minute for an answer to be given. "Once, right after I started hunting. I went to attack their leader. Carlisle was his name. He didn't fight back, didn't take a snap at me, and didn't break my neck with a pinch of his fingers. He was the singular most extraordinary supernatural creature I'd ever seen, or have seen since, for that matter.

"I made a deal with him. As long as I never got word of him or his coven taking a human life, I would let them live in peace. And I'd make sure to warn away any other hunters I ran into that thought to go after them. Don't do it John." He said, the warning ringing in his tone.

I kept my eyes trained on the stranger's face. "So you'll wait for them to kill someone? Wait for an innocent life to be taken before you'll admit to yourself that there's no such thing as a _good monster_?" The words were soft, but there was an intensity behind them that had me shrinking back into the safety of Uncle Dan's arms.

"John. If you want to chase vamps, head south. There are plenty still in Texas and Louisiana; the bad kind. If you insist upon pursuing the _one_ peaceful coven of vampires I've run into, I _will_ stop you." Though the words were not directed at me, they still caused a shiver to run up my spine.

Finally I couldn't sit still. Leaping lightly to my feet, I placed myself between the arguing hunters. "Sheesh. Calm down. There are plenty of things for us to fight without fighting each other, dontcha think?" I asked swiftly, though my heart was pounding painfully. The tension in the room was almost visible.

No one spoke for almost a whole minute, before the stranger started laughing again. "I must say, Evie, it was quite the pleasure to meet you. If you ever need anything, you just give me a call. It helps for hunters to have as many connections as possible in our world. Maybe we'll help each other out someday." He said, handing me a worn card. On one side was a faded Best Western Hotel logo. On the back was a clumsily scrawled phone number, with the letters J.W.

"Elkins." He said shortly, and swiftly disappeared through the creaking wooden door and out into the blustery night.

I turned to stare bewilderedly at Uncle Daniel, stowing the card in my boot for safekeeping. "Who was that?" I asked.

Uncle Daniel's eyes were anxious, something I was unaccustomed to seeing. "That, Evelyn, was what trouble really looks like."


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay... I'm really not sure how popular this story will be, which is fine, because I'm really just writing it so the idea will stop bugging me :) If you ARE reading, I just want to point out once again that reviews are loved :)**

**Oh, this skips ahead a bit, the first chapter was just supposed to set the story up, as does this one. Next chapter is when the story really gets rolling!**

_**~wwsadd**  
_

* * *

Familiar Faces, Unfamiliar Places

_Three years later…_

I packed my guitar securely back in its case. It was the only possession I still had of my mother's. As such I treated it with more reverence and respect than anything else I owned; with the exception of the knife I always kept hidden on my person.

Four years I'd been with my Uncle Daniel. In that time I'd learned more than I'd even believed possible. Hunting was a way of life, one that I fit into. Uncle Dan said I was a natural-though I could never tell if he thought that was a good thing or not.

He'd started sending me on my own hunts. Vampires mostly, but a ghost here and there too; one shapeshifter, and one ski lodge on ancient cursed Indian burial ground. I'd had quite the adventure with that one.

I didn't mind hunting alone, but every once in a while, usually when I was working late at the club—the only place in town that paid for live musical entertainment—I'd see happy couples or groups of girls giggling together in the corner, and I'd feel a pang of desire for a less solitary life.

But I had Uncle Daniel, and he had me. We used to joke that we were stuck with each other, but we both knew the truth. We were all we each had left in the world.

Tossing my knapsack in the seat of my old Ford pickup and setting the guitar gently on the bench seat next to me, I kicked the testy truck into reverse and headed out of the dark parking lot. A quick glance at the antique clock showed that it was past three in the morning. I groaned. I had class in less than five hours. High school was such a waste of my life.

By the time I made it up the mountainside, I could tell something was wrong. I could feel the tension in the crisp pine air. I cut the engine a mile away and slipped out into the shadows of the night, my knife clutched tightly in my right hand. I had the advantage here; I knew this mountainside like the back of my hand. Even if it was a vampire, I'd show 'em whose boss.

The cold metal weapon fell from my hands and into the thick snow when I finally reached the clearing. The ceiling window was busted through, the door was ajar. There wasn't anything…alive around at all. I held my breath as I tip-toed across the threshold. Something on the floor caught my eye and I fell into a crouch to get a better look.

What I found made my blood run cold. Sulfur. I abandoned caution and ran into Uncle Daniel's study. The place was destroyed, there was blood all over, and everything that had been on his big wooden desk was now on the floor. Panic began to bubble up inside me. I hadn't been this afraid since the night my mother was murdered.

My hunter's instinct told me that someone else had been here, from the way it looked like everything had been gone over. Vampires wouldn't have cared. Giving the room a sweeping glance, I crouched to the floor again. There were marks scratched in the floor. Running my fingers over them expertly, I closed my eyes and concentrated.

It was a message, but not for me. I straightened back up, wondering if what came after worst in the progression of bad to worse to worst.

My heart mourned for the only family I'd had left in this world. My head raced through all the new complications as I caught sight of an empty revolver case laying carelessly on the far edge of the desk. "Oh no…no, no, no!" I gasped, throwing myself over the desk to grab it. "Damn it!" I yelled, not caring if something bloodthirsty still lurked outside.

There was always one rule in Uncle Daniel's house. No one touched that Colt Revolver. If another hunter asked, Uncle Daniel had sold it twenty years ago to someone in a trench coat in a place called the Roadhouse. It was his best kept secret, his prized possession, the one weapon I was never trained to use.

That Colt Revolver meant everything to Uncle Daniel. Grabbing the letter-opener, I jimmied open the locked drawer on the lower left hand side of the desk, the only drawer that hadn't been torn out and flung on the floor. Inside was a stack of official looking papers, and a letter.

I would have thought it impossible for me to feel shock, but I did, when I saw the letter was addressed to me. I ripped it open quickly.

_  
Evelyn,_

_There are things in this life that even I cannot teach you. You've grown into a bright, talented young woman who can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. I've given you nearly all the knowledge I could. Arm yourself with that, the rest you must learn from experience. Know this though. People are mostly good. Despite what you've seen in your short life, the world itself is not as bad as it seems. We've drawn a dark lot as hunters, but comfort yourself by knowing that you are making the world a better place for those who live obliviously in it. _

_I know I taught you to think everything through. I know I also taught you to take no chances when it comes to vampires. But here and now I must take that lesson back. Sometimes things aren't what they seem. If you try, you may remember a night, you were thirteen years old. You met a man named John Winchester. We spoke of a coven of vampires in the state of Washington. They live in a town called Forks. Their leader's name is Carlisle, and he is an anomaly the likes of which I have never seen. They will not hurt you. On the contrary, they will be more civilized than many humans. _

_I fear however, that with my passing (as that is the only way you are reading this letter) that John will forget my warning. I made a promise Evelyn, and it is up to you to keep it when I am gone. Go to Forks; help those who need it, just as I have always taught you._

_I know I never told you this enough, but you made me so proud. And your mother is smiling down on you, as I'm sure I am now too._

_  
Remember, home is not a place; it is the right people that let you know you belong,_

_Uncle Daniel_

_  
p.s. One of them can read minds, wear the pendant to protect your thoughts._

Dumping the envelope upside down, a thin black cord fell onto my palm. A circular symbol with a Latin inscription hung from it, the size of a nickel. I slipped it over my head, not even attempting to fathom a mind reading vampire.

I was never one for tears, but they were falling relentlessly now. I carefully folded the letter, along with the Will and the deed to the house. I tucked them inside the front cover of his journal and left that house, refusing to look back. It wasn't home anymore.

It was time for me to find a new home. Apparently with vampires. The thought made me shudder. I remembered the night the letter spoke of clearly, I remembered the tense argument between the two hunters. As I climbed back into my truck, I reached down and pulled a fragile, wrinkled card out of my boot. Flipping it over, I stared at the writing scrawled across the back.

Who did I trust? At that point it seemed way more logical to call up John Winchester, and fall in with him. I'd worked hunts alone, but the jobs were always handed down by Uncle Dan. Flying solo was not something I'd ever wanted to do.

But how did I turn my back on his dying wish? He was the only father I'd ever had. He wanted me to protect vampires, after raising me to kill them. It sounded crazy, but if there was one thing I'd learned, sometimes you have to be crazy to survive.

I took a shuddering breath as I started back down the mountainside. First, I needed to figure out what exactly Uncle Daniel had meant by the marks he'd scratched in his last moments.

The streets through town were dead, the streetlights off at such a late hour. So when I saw two shadowy figures sneaking out of the small post office, I let my curiosity get the better of me. Parking a block away, I slipped back out into the night, and toward the car parked on the curb.

I nearly screamed when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Spinning around, I grabbed for the knife I'd rescued from the snow and held it swiftly to the stranger's neck. I was a hunter first and foremost, and my instincts were strongest when my emotions were charged.

The tall dark man chuckled, a flash of recognition in his eyes. "Evie Halloway, right?" He asked, his gruff voice triggering instant identification. I laughed quietly, bringing my arm down to my side, though I didn't loosen the hold on the knife.

"John Winchester. Fancy running into you here." I drawled. I tried to keep the suspicion out of my voice. Uncle Daniel said John was trouble. As much as I liked trouble, I knew I didn't have enough experience to outsmart John Winchester if we ended up working against each other.

He used the hand still on my shoulder to steer me toward the car that I'd been heading toward anyway. "I told you you could give my boys a run for their money. They don't know shit; apparently I'm not as good a teacher as your uncle." He muttered.

I didn't know what to say to that, so I kept my mouth shut. Besides, running into his sons had been luck, coincidence, if you believed that sort of thing. John led me to the car, pounding on the window, causing whoever was inside to jump. A moment later he opened the door to the backseat and ushered me in. There were two boys, I'd say in their early twenties, sitting in the front seat. They both looked absolutely shocked.

"D-dad?" The one driving stuttered. John sighed exasperatedly.

"Dean, a _girl_ tracked you over here. A _teenage_ girl. How are you surprised that _I_ was able to find you?" He asked. Immediately I knew why I learned more from my Uncle Daniel than John's sons ever learned from him. Intimidation was a horrible teaching method.

The younger one, from the looks of it, turned in his seat too. "Who's this?" He asked, mistrust in his dark eyes. I glared right back.

"I'm Evie Halloway. I met your dad three years ago when he was here visiting my uncle. Daniel Elkins, who was just killed by vampires." I informed them. I knew they'd probably already checked the place out, but I was in the mood to be as condescending to them as they were being toward me.

The one John referred to as Dean waved a letter in the air, and I tensed, remembering the letter tucked safely away in my truck a block away. John grabbed it and harshly tore it open. It only took him moments to read whatever it was Uncle Daniel had to say to him.

He looked up and quickly caught my gaze when he was finished reading. "Son of a bitch." He muttered, "The Colt, where is it?" My eyes widened. Why on earth would Uncle Dan tell him about that gun?

"Sorry." I said with a shrug. "It was the one weapon that was off limits. I never got to play with that toy." John's gaze hardened.

He was going to snap at me, I could tell. His son cut him off. "A Colt Revolver?"

"Yeah Sammy, did you see it?" I looked at the man in the front seat intently. If he stole my Uncle's gun, he was going to pay.

Dean was the one that answered. "Just the case. It was empty. Wait… did you say vampires? You always said there was no such thing." I looked disbelievingly back to John. Out of all the things out there to tell his sons weren't real, he chose _vampires_?

I snorted. "Trust me, they're real."

John looked between his sons, and shot a last glance at me. "Evie, keep them out of trouble would you? I'm going to deal with the vampires that killed your uncle." He said, stepping out into the night.

Both boys made noises of disgust. "But dad, we can help-" John shook his head.

"No. Get out of here. I'll catch up to you later." He said, turning and disappearing into the night for the second time out of the twice that I'd met him.

"The hell you will." I muttered.

"What just happened?" The younger one, Sam I guess, asked.

I rolled my eyes, shifting so I was sitting forward in the middle of the backseat. "Your dad just completely blew you off to go find a Colt Revolver." I said. "That man has serious trust issues." I added, as if they didn't know it.

Dean glared. "He's a hunter. That's how life goes for hunters."

I glared right back, letting my green eyes catch his hazel ones in the rearview mirror, and refusing to blink. "I'm a hunter too. Just like my uncle. And we never lived that way." I pointed out severely.

He turned in his seat, breaking the hold his eyes had on me but shifting to look at me directly. The intensity of his glare was doubled. "And that worked out so well for your uncle." He replied darkly.

I was about to retort with something nasty but Sam cut me off. "Dean." He snapped, and threw an apologetic look over his shoulder. "Sorry about him, he missed kindergarten on the day they taught manners."

Trying to hold back a laugh, I shrugged. "It happens. It shocks me that some people survive to adulthood." I said pointedly. Dean's incredulous eyes widened, until Sam started laughing. Finally the elder brother caught on that I'd been kidding.

"For being so tiny, you sure are annoying."

I giggled. "Well thanks. My uncle used to say that Trouble was my middle name. Causing it, raising it, encouraging it… you name it, I've probably done it." I said, letting my guard down a little, now that the vastly more threatening Winchester was gone.

Dean's eyebrow quirked at a mischievous angle. "Is that so?" He asked, his voice thick with implication.

Sam reached over and smacked him on the back of the head. "Dean!" He hissed. "She's like, ten years younger than you. _Upstairs_ brain." He muttered. I burst into another fit of laughter.

"Wow, you guys are quite the pair, you know that?" I could hardly breathe between laughs. "Where are you staying?"

"The Express, right around the corner here. We might as well get headed back there." Dean decided with a chuckle, turning the car on. Metallica screamed through the speakers.

"Do you not get depressed enough basically taunting death on a daily basis that you have to listen to Screamo to top it off?" I yelled over the racket. Uncle Dan had raised me on the real classics. Beatles all the way man.

"Don't bash the tunes, or you can walk your ass to the motel." He retorted, and I suppressed another laugh as Sam rolled his eyes and mimicked shooting himself when Dean's head was turned.

Subconsciously I knew I shouldn't be making friends with these guys…Uncle Daniel gave me a mission, and I needed to get to Washington. But I felt so…safe? Maybe that's not the right word. I felt like I was with people that understood me though. That was a rarity in my life, and I couldn't help but welcome it, even if I was soon going to have to say goodbye to it.

Their room was small and dingy, but the way they shoved each other through the door, and cracked jokes about who was sleeping where somehow brightened the place. For the first time in a long while I wished my parents had had more than just me. Having a built in best friend had to be a good defense against the loneliness.

"So, Evie? Right?" Sam asked, plopping down at the small desk and opening an impressive laptop. "How'd you get stuck in this gig?"

I climbed up on the bed closest to the desk, which happened to be furthest from the door. Partly because I wanted to talk to Sam, partly because Dean was already sprawled out on the other bed.

"My mother was finishing grad school at some Fine Arts college in San Francisco when she met my dad. He was just one of those Californian surfers, you know, the kind that sit around and smoke pot and catch rad waves and whatnot? I guess she fell for him because he was exotic or something. He was half Native American, Makah if I remember correctly.

"Anyways, she got pregnant and left school. She started doing caricatures of people on the street instead, which was a waste of what I've heard was real talent. Once I was born, and she realized my father would always be good for nothing, she moved us back east to Albuquerque. We lived there for a while, but my mom, she was always a free spirit. We moved from place to place a lot, we probably put fifty thousand miles on her old red jeep every four or five years. The summer I turned twelve we were in New Orleans. She went out, saying something about the Bayou and a story she'd heard. She never came back…

"We'd always had a routine. If she wasn't back within three days I was supposed to call Uncle Daniel. After she died, I moved in with him. I'd always believed the stories my mother had told me, she'd been plenty convincing. Uncle Dan just showed me that I didn't have to hide under a fort of blankets. There was something I could do… something to make the world safer… and I've been hunting ever since." I finished my long story, and shook myself out of my stupor.

Both boys were looking at me, completely absorbed from the looks of it. Dean nodded after a minute. "That's a hell of a story." He muttered.

I grinned. "I know, I should totally tell it at dinner parties, right?"

Sam laughed. "Sure, if your goal is to get yourself committed." He said.

"So… I told you mine, what's your story?" I asked them, settling back into the pillows of the vastly uncomfortable bed.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but it sure wasn't the look of intense pain in Dean's eyes. "When Sammy was six months old, a demon with yellow eyes broke into our house and murdered our mother. Our dad, it nearly killed him. He dragged us all over the country on hunts, leaving us in hotel rooms for days at a time.

"He's spent the last twenty-two years tracking down the thing that killed her. Somewhere along the way Sam decided he'd had enough and ran off to Stanford. Me and Dad kept hunting. Then the same thing that got Mom got Sam's girlfriend Jess. So we hit the road together again… every hunt we go on, we hope to get closer to whatever it was that wrecked our lives."

I was leaning in by this point. Dean's voice was barely above a whisper, but the words did not lack in intensity. "Wow." I said, after I'd processed everything. "I'm sorry. I hope you find what you're looking for."

"So what are you going to do now?" Sam asked, no longer light and joking, his tone and expression dark as he stared at the floor.

Warning lights flashed in my head. It wasn't that I didn't trust them… it was that I didn't trust their loyalties to their father. Even if I was a better hunter, they were two full grown men, and if they tried to detain me it would be hell and a half to get away. No pun intended.

"I don't know for sure. Keep hunting probably. Vampires are my specialty, it kind of runs in the family, just like the tendency to wander the country aimlessly. I'll figure something out." I said, rolling on to my stomach. "You two are sharing that bed, by the way." I muttered, pretending to fall asleep.

It wasn't long before I heard the light click off. I tried to keep my breathing even as I listened to their whispered conversation.

"She's something else."

"Admit it Dean, she'd probably kick your ass at hunting."

"Like hell she would."

"Just keep telling yourself that."

"Where do you think Dad is?"

"Probably two hundred miles away with that gun."

"He'll come back."

"You really still believe that?"

"Goodnight Sammy."

"Typical."

Finally they quieted. I waited until one of them was snoring and the other one was breathing evenly. By the sliver of light that poured in the window, I scrawled a quick note to my new friends.

_  
Sorry, I have a job to do, and it can't wait. It was really great to meet you. Maybe someday we'll work a hunt together… and I'll show you how it's really done. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Track me down… if you're good enough hunters figure out how._

_Best of luck to you,_

_E_

I jotted down my cell phone number too, and slipped out the door, releasing the breath I'd been holding. The night had turned chilly, and I raced the block to my truck, jumping in and turning up the old noisy heater. Lurching into drive, I found my way to the interstate and headed west.

I didn't have a plan, short of getting to Forks before John Winchester realized that there was no longer anything standing between him and the coven of _good_ vampires…

Good vampires… it got funnier every time I thought about it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay reviews!! Thanks guys I like hearing that someone is actually reading this :) To answer the one question I was asked, yes the wolves play a big part in this story, as do the Cullens. The Winchesters are the minor characters in this one… so sorry if that disappoints anyone!!**

_**~wwsadd**_

* * *

Misconceptions are What Make the World go 'Round

I threw the truck in park and stumbled out. My back was stiff from sitting in one position for so long, and if I did find a place to get some gas and some food soon, I was going to be in big trouble. The dingy gas station was not inviting, but I'd been scarier places.

The bells dinged as I walked inside. I kept my head down, but paid attention to the overweight woman behind the counter who was talking urgently to the man garbed in hunting attire.

"The chief of the poe-lice is out with a bunch of his guys, they're warnin' everyone off and outta the woods. I heard somethin' bout bears. Somethin's killin' hikers. Steer clear of this area all ta-gether. I'd take the interstate back south; the area around Portland should be safe 'nuff if you're lookin' to just get some campin' in." Her voice was raspy, and I could tell without looking that there was a pack of cigarettes tucked in her shirt pocket.

Grabbing a bag of chips and a diet cola, I pretended to ignore them as I stepped behind the man. I acted as though I was very interested in the stack of lottery tickets on the glass counter in front of me. I hoped they would continue their conversation.

"That ain't what I heard. A buddy a mine from over in Seattle said it was _wolves_." It was getting harder to act like I wasn't paying attention as my curiosity was peaked.

The woman laughed loudly. "Them tracks they found were way too big to be wolves. Size o' car tires, I'm tellin' ya. It was bears." The man shrugged, paid, and left. I set my two items in front of the woman and plastered an innocent expression on my face.

"And gas on pump number two please." I said, handing her the credit card Uncle Daniel had hijacked and rerouted. Someone in Switzerland probably really hated us.

"How are ya, honey? Look like ya been on the road a while." She said, handing me the card back.

I nodded. "A couple days, straight through. I didn't dawdle, that's for sure." I said, pocketing the card and reaching to take the bag and the bottle from her. She hesitated before handing them over.

"If you're headed home, ya may wanna take the back way, there was a big acciden' out on the highway righ' before ya hit town." She said.

I felt my eyebrows pull together in confusion. Home? I didn't have a home. "I'm sorry… You just look like one of them girls from the Makah reservation up north." She continued hastily, seeing my puzzled expression. Her words sent a bigger shock through me than anything I'd heard since I'd entered the small convenience store.

I was a quarter Native American, but no one had ever mistaken me for it before. I guess there weren't many reservations in the Colorado Mountains to make that connection to. I examined my appearance swiftly in the large dirty mirror behind the woman.

My skin tone was at least two shades darker than hers, and Uncle Daniel used to say my hair was like waves of midnight. But my eyes were the color of celery. I guess I could sort of see her point… It took me a moment to answer her regardless. "Good call, my father was part Makah. I've actually never been out this direction before… I have friends in Forks… could you point me in that direction by chance?" I asked, my mind still skipping around.

The woman smiled apologetically. "Sure honey, jump back on the interstate and head South. You should hit the turnoff in another hour or so." I thanked her and hurried back out to the truck. Something was pulling at the corner of my conscious. Something extremely obvious was eluding me, and if I didn't figure it out soon, it was going to drive me crazy.

It didn't take me nearly an hour to reach the turnoff, but then again, I took speed limits as suggestions. Entering the tiny town, I slowed down and looked around, pushing my sunglasses up out of my way. _This_ was where the mysterious vampires decided to settle down? _Why_?

There was one small motel; it looked nearly uninhabited as I walked into the room that had the chipped _Lobby_ sign swinging above it. Classy. The boy behind the counter had glasses and a bad complexion. But he seemed nice enough as he smiled and asked me if I needed a room.

I bit back my sarcastic reply and tried to be polite. Who knew how long I was going to be here? I knew I should probably hold off on alienating people just yet. "Yes, please. And I was actually wondering… do you know where I might find a man named Carlisle?" I asked, hoping I came across as innocent and not suspicious.

The boy's eyes widened, and for a minute I worried that I'd already screwed up. Shaking his head slowly he answered me. "Carlisle Cullen? I think he's the only one around. He's the doctor in town, actually, you're lucky, he just got back—he'd taken a job in LA and didn't like it. He just moved his family back here a couple weeks ago." He said, his expression guarded.

LA? Now why didn't I buy that? But he'd told me all I needed to know. I wondered if he'd be a helpful friend in the future, and decided it wouldn't hurt. I smiled brilliantly at him. "Thanks so much!" I said, pretending like there was nothing strange at all about the way he'd answered my question. "I'm Evie Halloway." I offered him my hand, after taking the small silver key he'd set on the desk between us.

He looked taken aback for a moment. "Eric." He finally replied, shaking my hand and smiling too. "It's nice to meet you. How long are you in town for?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Not really sure. I was living with an uncle that just passed away. The only family ties I have left are out here, so I'm just going to play it by ear… see if Forks is the place for me. I'm starting at the high school on Monday… I'll be here until the end of the year at least." I said, making it up as I went along. I could almost hear Uncle Daniel's exasperated sigh. I needed to make a game plan, and soon.

Eric's expression brightened. "Really? That's great! I mean… not that your uncle died of course, but Forks is a good place, especially if you need some peace and quiet. Hey, if you want I could give you a tour of the school and introduce you to my friends, help you get situated and everything." He offered.

I grinned. "That'd be fantastic! They said they'd have my schedule Monday morning before classes were supposed to start… see you then?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "It's a date!" He said, causing me to flinch internally. _So_ not happening. I was here on a mission, not to acquire a clueless boyfriend. I made myself nod in reply, and turned to leave.

The first thing I did when I got into my room was lock the door and drop a pistol in the drawer of the nightstand. Next I pulled out Uncle Daniel's journal.

It had been like a bible to me since he'd started my training four years ago. Everything he knew about everything was hidden in these pages, in various languages and drawings that made your head spin if you stared at them too long.

I let the brittle pages slide through my fingertips, until I landed on a page that I'd never read before. He hadn't written much about his mysterious encounter with the vampire he referred to only as Carlisle. There was mention of a mind reading son, and I wasn't sure which shocked me more, the fact that the thing could read minds or that they seemed to have a _family_.

Most covens were more like gangs. I fidgeted absentmindedly with the pendant around my neck as I finished reading what little he'd written about them. It was clear that he was the same person the boy downstairs had been talking about though. How strange, a vampire doctor… something told me I was in for the adventure of a lifetime.

I double checked the lock on the door, spread a light line of salt on the windowsill, just in case, and climbed into the lumpy bed. My thoughts wouldn't slow enough to let me go to sleep. I kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong on this job. It was not in my nature to protect creatures of the night, especially not against other hunters.

How could fighting the instincts that came so naturally to me possibly be a good thing?

I slept fitfully that night, and woke early the next morning. I spent all of the day locked in that small room with Uncle Daniel's journal; pouring through every note he'd ever taken. I was determined to know every detail by heart.

When sundown rolled around again, I repeated my safety precautions and turned in extra early. The next day was Monday, and the real work was about to begin.

I was jerked awake by the sound of The Eagles 'Take it Easy'. "I wish." I muttered to myself, hitting the alarm and rolling out of bed. I hopped hastily into the shower, cursing the chill that had seeped into the room in the early hours of the morning.

An hour later I was finishing my black eyeliner, and slipping on my leather knee-high boots. I knew I wasn't going to fit in with the kids at this school, but I wasn't about to completely change my wardrobe either. Grabbing my messenger bag and double checking the door was locked, I skipped down the steps and toward my truck.

The school was impossible to miss, though it was far smaller than any school I'd ever seen before. Parking in front of the main office, I hurried inside, cursing the rain that had begun to fall. The lady behind the desk had a blank look on her face, and I wondered idly if she was the same person I'd talked to on the phone when I had enrolled myself three days before.

"I'm Evelyn Halloway. I was told to come in this morning and get my schedule…?" I said, sighing in relief when her eyes flashed with recognition. She smiled and handed me a sheet of paper and a map.

"Here you go dear, do you have any questions?" She asked, and then paused when the door opened.

"Evie, right?" I turned automatically.

"…Eric, right?" I asked. The boy nodded enthusiastically so I turned back to the woman behind the desk.

"Thank you…" I glance down at the plaque on the desk. "Ms. Cope, but I think I'll be alright." She smiled and waved, before turning back to her filing cabinet. Eric held the door open for me as we made our way back outside.

I made polite small talk while he showed me to a building with the large number 3 on it. "Well here we are. It looks like we actually have a lot of the same classes, so I'll catch up to you later." He said with a grin as he turned and loped off.

I scanned the classroom quickly, my practiced eyes quickly discovering that everyone there was human. That left me with an hour of staring off into space, as some old balding man rambled on about logarithms.

The next three classes followed suit. In the last class before lunch, Eric introduced me to the girl sitting next to him. "Evie, this is Angela Webber. Ang, this is Evie, she just moved here from Colorado." The girl seemed nice enough, extremely quiet though.

The cafeteria area was a zoo when we walked in. I wasn't in the habit of eating lunch, so I simply followed Eric to a nearly full table. My breath caught in my throat when I got there. There was not one, but two vampires sitting with everyone else. I dropped silently into a seat next to a blond boy that quickly turned to smile and introduce himself.

"I'm Mike Newton, nice to meet you." He said, offering me his hand, which I shook.

"Evie Halloway. Thanks." I said, plastering a fake smile on my face for the millionth time that day.

"This is Jessica Stanley, Ben Chaney, Angela Webber, Tyler Crowley, Eric Yorkie- who you seem to know already, and Bella Swan." He pointed everyone out, ending with the girl sitting directly across the table from me. She glanced over at me disinterestedly, before turning back to the vampire next to her. I took a deep breath to calm my clenched fingers.

"Hey, it's great to meet you all; thanks for letting me sit with you guys. I didn't catch your names…?" I said, addressing the oddities directly. Everyone at the table went silent, and I felt like I was suddenly under a microscope.

The girl, Bella, smiled hesitantly, the surprise not completely leaving her eyes. "This is Edward Cullen, and his sister Alice." She said, pointing to them each respectively.

The expressions on everyone's faces did not compare to the absolute shock all over the male vampire's face. I smiled for real this time. _Take that you mindreading monstrosity._ I thought to myself, then had to hold back a giggle at the thought that the pendant might not even work.

"Where did you say you were from?" The pixie-like girl sitting on his other side piped up. She looked like a ballerina.

"Originally, San Francisco, but my mom moved us around a lot. A few years back I moved to Colorado to stay with an uncle. When he passed away I thought I'd come looking for my dad's family out here." I said, giving them the edited story I'd come up with the day before. It was always good for a hunter's background story to be based in truth. Lies got confusing.

"Well welcome to Forks." Bella said warmly. For some reason the whole conversation was making her really happy. I shrugged it off and turned back to the boy next to her.

"Cullen… is your father Carlisle?" I asked, shooting a curious glance at Eric two seats away. He gave a barely perceptible nod.

"Yes. Did you have some business with him?" Edward asked, his tone hard. Yep, definitely a mind reader. I felt a little offended on Eric's behalf; privacy invasion was so not cool. Bella elbowed him discreetly, and then winced. I suppressed an eye roll-if you're going to hit a vamp, the bones in your body are definitely not a good weapon of choice.

"My uncle knew him, so I was merely curious." I explained, hoping that though he could not read my mind that he could read my expression well enough to know that this was a conversation to be had in a more private area.

"Really?" Alice twittered, apparently getting the message quicker than her brother. "How interesting. If you like, he'll be home early this afternoon. You could come meet him." Bella shot her a look, something I could only describe as fear in her eyes.

I nodded. "Sure! He was spoken very highly of." I said, before the sound of a bell sent everyone scurrying to class.

I nearly died of shock when Bella stood up on her tip-toes and kissed Edward Cullen full on the mouth before turning toward me. "What's your next class?" She asked sweetly.

I was pretty sure my heart had stopped beating, but I forced myself to answer her. "European History."

She hopped up and down excitedly. "Mine too! We can walk together." She said, motioning for me to follow her. I threw a last glance at the confused-looking vampires and wondered who was having the weirder experience, them or me.

I tried to study this girl inconspicuously as we walked down the hallway. She seemed nice enough, and I didn't get an air-head vibe from her. So what on earth was she doing playing with fire like that? She had to know what he was… it shocked me that everyone else at the lunch table seemed to take the Cullens' humanity as a given. They didn't _look_ human.

As we took two empty seats in the back of the room, she turned and lowered her voice. "If you were wondering about the reaction at the table back there, people don't usually talk to the Cullens… besides me of course… why did you..." She trailed off in a tense whisper.

I laughed under my breath, and her eyebrows rose in what I took to be puzzlement. "Sorry…" She muttered, her face the color of a tomato. "I'm not trying to come off as a jealous girlfriend or anything; I'm not trying to insinuate… that was just really weird back there." She explained embarrassedly.

I was going to have to get to know this girl better. She was far more perceptive than the majority of civilians that I ran into. Maybe she just had an overactive imagination… or maybe she was hunter material. Either way, I felt we'd get along well—despite the fact it sounded like she was worried about her boyfriend's…reaction to me. If she only knew.

Deciding to take pity on her, I smiled kindly. "Sweetie, don't worry, vampire is totally _not_ my type."

* * *

**ha ha ha. cliffhanger!! **


	5. Chapter 5

Friends…? Enemies…? Frenemies…?

"Miss Swan, is everything alright back there?" The teacher asked, I could only assume due to the loud crash that had resounded through the room when Bella's books had fallen from her hands to the floor.

I bent down and picked them up quickly, the silver bracelets on my wrists clinking together quietly in comparison. "It's okay!" I said brightly, and overly loudly. "I'm a klutz too." I said, handing them back to her and giving her a pointed look.

She shook herself and glanced around the room. "Oh, yeah… Join the club." She covered, laughing shakily.

Once the droning about Soviet Russia began again, she scooted her seat closer to mine and hissed. "What are you, crazy?"

I shrugged, doodling on a blank sheet of notebook paper. "I have to be, I wouldn't have lasted this long if I wasn't. Look, don't worry; I'm not here to expose your precious boyfriend. How can you kiss him though? Aren't you afraid he'll forget himself and decide that your blood is more appealing than your body?" I asked, dropping my voice to match hers.

She snorted. "He doesn't…forget himself." She said, and somehow sounded…disappointed? I apparently wasn't the only crazy one in the room. Out of everything I'd just said, _that_ was what concerned her?

"But…how do you know about them? How did your uncle know Carlisle?" She continued, fidgeting with the blue pen in her hand.

I sighed. "Don't freak out, okay?" I asked, and her hands stilled. In fact her whole body seemed to freeze, like I'd hit pause on a remote. Confusing, but I didn't have the space in my head to wonder about yet something else on top of it all.

"My uncle, Daniel Elkins, was a vampire hunter. Nearly forty years ago he ran across Carlisle's coven, they completely astounded him. He made a deal—as long as they refrained from hunting humans, he'd make sure no other hunters came after them. He was important in our world, the supreme knowledge on vampire lore and history. Other hunters respected him enough not to cross him. But now that he's gone… I knew I needed to move out here in order to help keep his deal. I'm on your side, I promise." I said, drawing an impression of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz in the background. I quickly balled up the sheet of paper and tossed it over her head into the trash can.

Her eyes widened. "Hunters? What, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" She asked, her voice thick with sarcasm. I knew I was going to like her.

I pretended to be insulted. "Ouch. Not even close. That's not really the point though. The point is that now that Uncle Daniel's gone, the hunters that left the… _them_ alone won't be so willing to do so." I said, glancing around the room again to make sure no one was listening in on our conversation.

I figure, the only way to keep them from attacking is to show that they'll have to get through me first. Most hunters won't fight other hunters. There are few enough in the world that it's against like, an unspoken law to kill each other." I told her. It was true—hunters didn't kill hunters, with the exception of a couple truly psycho people with personal vendettas. But those were rarer than rare.

That was another reason I was so uncomfortable with this situation. I didn't fear for my own life, even John Winchester wasn't vindictive enough to fire a gun at me as far as I could tell. But what was I supposed to do if he was? I didn't think I'd be able to hit back, so to speak. Killing a hunter…especially one that was as revered as John, felt even more wrong to me than the fact that I was protecting mythical monsters that were hardwired to murder me and my whole species.

Apparently Bella wasn't sure what to think. "So…you're going to…protect _them_? That's ridiculous. _They're_ the strongest people I know. I know of very few things that could really hurt _them_." She said, continuing our conversation in whispers.

It was my turn to be confused. What besides hunters killed vampires? They were pretty high up there on the supernatural food chain. "Trust me. Hunters all have this mentality that anything not human doesn't deserve to keep breathing, figuratively speaking. Hunters have been around as long as vampires have, hunters exist to kill vampires, and just about anything else that threatens human existence. They're inventive, they're intelligent, and they have the most important thing of all. Dedication." I said grimly.

"What, _you_ aren't dedicated?" She asked slyly.

"I'm dedicated to keeping the promises I make." I replied.

"Okay…I believe you… I'm grounded for the rest of forever, but if you wanna stop by after school, Alice can come get you and take you over to the… _There_." She told me, packing her things back up. I couldn't believe forty minutes had passed so quickly, and I rushed to put my notebook back in my bag too.

"Sounds good. Look, I know I'm young, but I'm really good at what I do. So don't worry—over my dead body is a literal phrase in my line of work." I replied.

She didn't look as shocked by that as I'd expected, but then again, nothing today had been what I'd expected.

By the time the final bell rang I was ready to be done with the charade called high school. Bella was waiting for me in the parking lot. I climbed in her truck, leaving mine in the school lot. It took only minutes to reach her house.

"My dad's been in kind of a bad mood ever since… well… I'll tell you about it later." She said, leading the way inside. I was eyeing the police cruiser in the driveway warily.

"Your dad is a cop?" I asked, trying not to panic. Monsters I could handle, law enforcement however, terrified me.

"Chief of Forks Police." She said, moving toward the kitchen. "Dad I'm home!" She called.

A kind-looking man with thinning hair and warm eyes came sauntering in a moment later. "Hey Bells. Who's your friend?" He asked, giving me a critical glance. I was super-aware that I looked like a bad kid, a rebellious teenager. But Mr. Swan seemed happy enough with my appearance.

I tried to leave a good impression. "Hi, I'm Evelyn Halloway; I'm new in town, so Bella was sweet enough to invite me over. I hope I'm not intruding." I said, in my most-innocent voice.

The man gave his daughter a look I didn't understand, but he still seemed to be in a good mood. "Of course not, I'm Charlie, Bella's dad, and you're more than welcome to hang out here for as long as you want. Bella's grounded, but the no-guest rule doesn't apply to everyone. Make yourself at home; it's nice to meet you." He said, and then turned back to his daughter.

"Bells, I talked to Billy today like you asked. He gave me this to give to you from Jake. This is ridiculous, what did you do to that boy?" He asked, handing her a folded up piece of notebook paper. Her eyes dropped to the floor as she took the note from him.

"It's a long story." She mumbled. "I didn't mean to." She added, her voice dropping another octave lower.

"Well it's downright lousy. He's your best friend Bella; he's really been there for you. Fix it." He said sternly, and left the room. For not the first time that day, I was completely confused by the present situation.

"Uh, let's go upstairs." She said quietly, clutching the paper in both her hands and staring at the large letters that seemed to be scratched through. I followed her quietly up the stairs and into a small bedroom. She crawled up on her bed and let her head fall back against the wall behind her.

I sank into an old rocking chair in the corner of the room. "So, what's the deal?" I asked. "Why's daddy all wigged out?"

She held that piece of paper like it was a lifeline, and I was afraid her fingers would rip right through it. "Have you heard of the Volturi, oh great vampire hunter?" She asked, her voice turning teasing at the end.

I grimaced. "You seem to know a lot about vampires yourself." I pointed out. "Yes. I know of them."

"Well… About three weeks ago, I _met_ them. Tell me, if you're all about ridding the world of evil, why do you let them exist?" She asked, the accusation poorly masked in her question.

I got over my shock as quickly as I could. "You met them? Tell _me_, how are you still alive?" I asked, but then jumped into an explanation. "We let them exist because they are the only form of management in the vampire world. They are built in damage control—sometimes they actually do our job for us. The theory for most vampire hunters is that the Volturi should be the last to go, keep them around until all the other vampires are wiped out, and then finish them off last."

Bella tensed up. "But the Cullens-"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry; your little friends seem to be the exception. I said I won't let the other hunters take them out, and I keep my promises." I said.

There were a few minutes of almost-comfortable silence before my new friend cleared her throat. "Uh… I know this is going to sound weird, but I'm actually glad you showed up. It's really nice to have another human to talk to, without having to edit everything I say." The sincerity rang in her words.

I smiled. "Yeah, trust me; it's a new experience for me too. Usually I don't get to make friends—legends are for campfires, not real life, you know? I try not to drag anyone else into this world with me."

Her eyes got big as she glanced back down at the note still clutched in her hands. "Legends… yeah…"

Just then a car honked outside. "That's Alice, you should probably go…just stay calm… you stay calm—they stay calm… usually." She said with a small smile.

"Well that's so reassuring. Will it be easier to sneak downstairs and past your dad, or is my best bet to use the window?" I asked.

"The window? You _are_ crazy. It's further to the ground than it looks." She said.

Going instantly into challenge mode, I smirked at her and reached for the latch. "Crazy is what makes the world go 'round. I'll see you tomorrow Bella."

"Wait! What about your bag? It's still in my truck." She pointed out, getting to her feet and tripping over to the now-open window.

I laughed. "I'll get it." She reached in her pocket for her keys, but I swung my leg over the ledge. "No worries, I don't use keys." I said cryptically, and let myself fall to the grassy lawn below. I hit the ground lightly and rolled, until I was back up on my feet. I flashed a grin up at her shocked face and then darted toward her truck.

It took me half a second to get the door unlocked and grab my bag, another half a second to lock the door again and slam it shut. Then I made my way to a silver Volvo idling halfway up the block. It was the only sign of life on the otherwise empty street.

The girl from earlier greeted me with a smile. "Hi again! Evie, right?" She asked, throwing the vehicle into drive and accelerating quickly past the speed limit.

I nodded, not entirely comfortable with the fact that I was in a moving car with a vampire. Even if her eyes were…gold? Instead of red. Old instincts die hard apparently. "Yes…Alice? It's nice to see you again." I lied.

"So…you and Bella seemed to make friends pretty fast. She's kind of like an unofficial part of our family. We all love her." She told me, her voice tinkling like a child's music box. I couldn't tell if the words were meant to be a warning or not.

"She seems really nice. Actually… everyone seems really nice here." I said, paying close attention to the direction we were going. There was no way I was going to end up in some vampire's crypt and not know how to get back.

"Forks is a pretty great town. I was so glad when Carlisle and Esme decided to move back." She said with a smile, which seemed genuine.

"Esme?" I asked. How many _were_ there?

"Oh yes! The whole family is home tonight. Carlisle and his wife Esme; Edward and I and our brother Emmett; and then Esme's niece and nephew, Jasper and Rosalie Hale. They're the best adoptive parents we could have asked for." She explained, jerking to a stop and putting the car in park.

I was afraid I might start hyperventilating. Seven vampires? Shit was about to hit the fan. I followed her mutely up the beautiful finished steps to the front door of the large, surprisingly nice house. She basically danced in before me. "Hey everyone! I'm back! And I brought a friend!" She sang. I tried not to let myself tack the words _for dinner_ on in my head, but I failed miserably.

Within moments we were surrounded, at least, that's what it felt like. There was a big bear of a vampire, next to a pretty blonde who looked like a supermodel with a broken tanning bed. The blond boy next to her had a pained look on his face, and he took a couple steps back. I suppressed the urge to shoot him a dirty look.

The woman next to him looked like the biggest contradiction in vampire history. Her whole demeanor screamed 'Mom'—it made my heart give a painful stutter. Her arm was looped loosely around the waist of the easily most attractive man I'd ever seen in my life, if I thought about it logically. But I'd been fighting vampires for so long that anything pale cold and hard was a turn-off.

Lastly, the only other familiar face in the group. "Hey Edward." I mumbled. His disarming gold eyes were studying me critically.

Alice jumped back in when he didn't answer me. "Evie, this is Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle. Everyone, this is Bella's new friend Evie. She says her uncle knew Carlisle." She said, making introductions.

The one she'd pointed out as such took a small step forward. "I'm Carlisle." He said, holding out his hand. I steeled myself and reached out to shake it. I was super-aware of the knife in my boot. I half-wished it was in my other hand.

But I needed to focus. They were obviously far more civilized than what I was used to dealing with, and I was the last person in the world that should be making judgments based on prejudices. "It's nice to meet you. All of you. Bella spoke very highly of you. As did my uncle, well… he spoke highly of you." I said, directing the statement toward the doctor.

Carlisle smiled kindly. "What did you say your last name was? I'm sure I'd remember him too."

I took a breath, hoping it wasn't my last. "Halloway. But I was raised by my uncle Daniel Elkins." I said quietly. Instant recognition flashed in the eyes that were locked on mine.

"Elkins? You're his niece?" He said, sounding staggered. I nodded.

"Yes. Five nights ago he was murdered. All he left me was a letter—he told me to keep his promise, and that's what I'm here to do." I explained.

"You're a _hunter_." I jumped at the hostility in the snarl that came from mere feet away. I turned in time to see Edward with a glower on his face that easily matched that on any other bloodthirsty vampire's that I'd seen.

"What kind of hunter?" The constipated-looking blond that Alice had introduced as Jasper asked warily.

"The kind you should, under normal circumstances, run screaming from. But I'm actually here to help you." I asserted.

"How much did your uncle tell you about the last time we met?" Dr. Cullen asked, running a hand through his golden hair, a gesture that seemed like it would be stress-induced, but since when did vampires suffer from stress?

I pulled Uncle Daniel's letter out of my pocket. "This is all. I'd take him at his word if he told me the grass was purple, so I'm trusting him, and his trust in you." I said, handing it to him.

His eyes scanned it quickly. He chuckled when he reached the bottom of the page. "He was one of a kind, Daniel Elkins. At least that answers that question." He said, turning to Edward. "You can't read her mind because she's wearing a Celtic protection knot."

My fingers flew to my throat. "I was always taught that the mind is a private sanctuary." I said, addressing the still-glowering Edward.

At this he laughed. "I agree. Actually, if you have a couple thousand of those, it'd be great if you'd hand them out." He joked. I laughed too. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Okay, hate to break up the love fest, but what the hell is going on?" The big linebacker- looking vampire…Emmett? Cut in.

I looked expectantly at Carlisle; after all, he knew what was going on far better than I did. I was just following orders. He turned to his family and beckoned to the large, open living room. We all moved toward the big couch and assorted matching armchairs. The only sound was my boot heels clicking on the wood floor.

"Forty years ago, I was hunting in the woods; we were living in the southern part of West Virginia at the time. One moment it was just me and the trees, the next there was a very large, very sharp knife pressed to my throat." He began, giving me a wry look. I smirked.

"I was faced by a young man with the most calculating green eyes I'd ever seen. We stood, face to face, both silent and still, for the better part of an hour. He finally asked me why I wasn't attacking him. I answered by asking him the same question. I'd run into vampire hunters before—but I'd never been caught unaware by one. Usually I had time to make a quick exit.

"He seemed…irritated by my question, but told me that it wasn't in his nature to take the life of something that wasn't trying to do the same to him. I in turn told him that we would be standing in that forest forever if that was indeed what he was waiting for. He lowered his weapon and introduced himself as Daniel Elkins, vampire hunter. I introduced myself as Carlisle Cullen, humanitarian, doctor, and vampire.

"He seemed incredulous when I told him my story, but had the decency to take me at my word. We sat in that forest all night; talking of hunters and patterns and the large world of the supernatural. When morning broke he took his leave, making me a promise and asking for one in turn. He said he respected what I'd done with the cards I'd been given, and that he wouldn't allow his fellow hunters to intrude on a peaceful life. As long as we continue to survive this way, he said we'd never have to worry about a hunter sneaking up on us again."

"Wow." I said, after a couple minutes of silence. "That's a way better story than the one I got."

Everyone laughed, except the two blond "children". Who were probably both actually older than Uncle Daniel. Three cheers for irony.

The one that reminded me of a bear smiled. "So what? Like we can't handle some humans with guns and hero complexes? Right." He joked.

I pretended to glare. The surprise was wearing off, and I was slowly becoming comfortable with the real _family_ feel these vampires had. "Wanna make a bet on that?" I asked, pulling the knife from my boot and flipping it back and forth through my fingers lightly.

His dark eyebrows shot up for a moment, before he roared in another wave of laughter. "Against you? Sorry kid, I don't take candy from babies."

I had been sitting on the floor, but I jumped up into a crouch, growling playfully. "Vampire hunters are legit. But hey, if you're scared…" I trailed off, beckoning to him with two fingers.

He laughed again, causing the couch he was leaning back on to shake. "Scared? You're on." He replied, getting up and taking a smooth step toward me. The one who made me miss my mother stepped gently in front of him.

"Emmett, I think the roughhousing can wait, don't you?" I suppressed my own laugh and fell back to the floor.

"I will say this; you guys are the coolest vampires I've ever met." I said, stowing the knife back in my boot.

Alice giggled. "Finally! After years of trying, we're finally making human friends!" She said brightly, flitting across the room and falling down next to me. Although I couldn't really call it falling…there was far too much grace involved.

I started laughing again. "Sure, but I'm not positive that you can count me. I mean, I hunt evil as a lifestyle. I don't really fit well into the whole sane-human-persona thing." I said. She laughed too.

"Sanity is overrated." I nodded in agreement, still laughing.

"This regrettably means you should probably look into having your girlfriend committed." I said, looking around the room until my eyes caught Edward's.

He sighed, hanging his head. "Tell me about it." I heard him mutter quietly.

"So…what's the story there?" I asked, leaning back on my hands. I wondered at how comfortable I suddenly was in a place that I should really feel like burning to the ground just about now. "I mean, I talked to Bella, she said something about the Volturi? Sounds like you get yourselves in enough trouble even without the hunters on your tail."

"So she's knows you're a vampire hunter and she sent you over here?" Jasper asked, and an eyebrow rose skeptically.

I stuck my tongue out at him, a childish move, but being surrounded by people that were all at least fifty years older than me entitled me to that…right? "We had a pretty intense conversation about it in European History earlier. I think I convinced her that, under the circumstances, I'm… I don't know, the lesser of two evils?"

"You were having a conversation about vampires during class? Do you know how dangerous that is?" The blond shot back.

I snickered. "Maybe for you. But for me and Bella, it's just like two humans having a conversation about a horror film. Perk of being alive, as opposed to being undead." I said pointedly.

"Touché." The blonde girl that had yet to speak finally said. "At least you have a brain." She continued, shooting a dirty look at Edward. Her perfect face seemed to be in a permanent scowl.

"There are quite a few people that would actually disagree with you on that." I said lightly, looking between the two. They seemed to be having a silent argument.

At the sound of my voice her gold eyes snapped back to mine. "Answer one question for me, please." She said, though the way she asked it didn't really sound like she was giving me a choice. I gestured for her to continue. "Would you _ever_, under _any_ circumstances, want to damn yourself to _this_ kind of life?" She asked, her voice sharp.

I looked around myself, trying to figure out the most diplomatic way to reply. Something told me that laughing and saying that I'd prefer to rot in hell for the rest of eternity wasn't really necessary. "I'm probably the last person you want to ask that question to. Since the time I was twelve years old, I've been taught that you're all evil and soulless and deserve nothing short of a quick death and forever in the fires of hell." I pointed out.

"Rose, don't start this again, please." Alice's voice was no longer cheery, she sounded exhausted. Glancing away from the blonde girl, I realized that we were now a vampire short. Edward had disappeared.

Apparently the request was denied. "Well I'm glad _someone_ agrees with me." She said, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Bella's ready to throw her life away. Maybe you'll be the one to talk some sense into her."

There was no way I heard that correctly. "I'm sorry, are you trying to tell me she's asking you guys to… _bite_ her?" I asked, and I could hear the horror in my own voice.

Alice touched my shoulder lightly, causing me to turn back to look at her. "Evie, you have to understand… So much has happened in the last year and a half… it's complicated." She said, seemingly struggling for words.

I stood fluidly. "I'd say." I muttered. "Where'd Edward go?" I asked. I was going to the bottom of this story, if it was the last thing I did.

* * *

**for anyone that couldn't tell, this story takes place at the very end of New Moon/start of Eclipse... my plan is for it to go through to the end of Eclipse, with a possible sequel that would remap the events of Breaking Dawn... depending on how popular _this_ story is :)  
oh, and keep in mind, it's AU (alternate universe) obviously throwing a vampire hunter into the twilight world is going to change things, so it won't stick 100% to the story line, but the major events will be close to the same!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay wow, it's been **_**forever!**_** Sorry about that! It's been a long semester, and let's just say that taking three college literature classes at once was not my wisest decision. Anyways, I'm back, and hopefully there will never be an update-less 4+ months in a row again. **

**Please review so I know someone (**_**anyone**_**) is still reading this!!**

_**~wwsadd**_

* * *

  
The Book of Revelations

For the second time in as many hours I was in a car with a bloodthirsty monster. Alright, so maybe that wasn't fair to say, but honestly, if someone had told me two weeks ago that I would be playing nice with vampires, I would have died laughing.

We'd left the Cullen household as soon as I'd found Edward in the massive garage. I'd agreed to go on a drive, so we could discuss things. My apprehension was battling fiercely with my curiosity, and as usual, my curiosity was winning out.

Neither of us spoke, I figured when he wanted to explain what was going on, he would. The spring-time green trees dropped their branches low over the winding road. The sky looked like it was as confused as I was; unable to figure out if it wanted to rain or not.

"Why are you trying to protect us? I know your uncle and Carlisle had a strange friendship of sorts, but why take a chance on us?" He asked, his soft voice loud in the interior of the expensive car he was driving after sitting in silence for so long.

I sighed. "What, you don't think that's a relevant question?" He asked with an inquisitive glance over at me.

Snickering I offered a shrug with my reply. "No, it's an entirely relevant question. I just don't know the answer to it." I told him honestly.

He laughed, the sound was attractive, I must admit. "Fair enough. You're staying at the motel on Main Street, right?"

I nodded. "For now. I have no idea how long I'll have to be here. It's impossible to tell how many hunters will take interest now that my uncle is gone. There's only one I'm worried about at the moment." I said grimly, imagining how tough it was going to be to outsmart John Winchester.

"Well we aren't completely incapable of taking care of ourselves, you know." He said with a sly smile that showed gleaming teeth. I pretended to shudder.

"I'm so scared." I replied sarcastically, adding an eye roll for good measure. He laughed lightly. "Seriously though, I'm here to help you guys. I was raised by the best hunter out there, and I know how they think… the question isn't whether I trust you, I trust my uncle's judgment, and that's good enough for me. The real question is whether or not _you_ can trust _me_; starting with telling me what's really going on between you and Bella." I continued, becoming serious.

There was a short silence, but it was filled with a tension that hadn't been present earlier.

"Look, you have to understand that I never meant for any of this to happen. If I could take it all back…" He trailed off.

Generally I was a good reader of people, it helped with hunting immensely. He seemed frustrated and frightened and the conflict in his golden eyes was all-too-noticeable. "You wouldn't." I finished for him.

"I thought I was the mind reader." He said with a half-hearted smile.

I grinned. "I don't read minds, thank god. Just expressions. Yours is saying that you wish a lot of things could be different, but given the chance to make them different, you wouldn't take it." I said slowly, knowing my words didn't exactly make sense, but figuring he'd understand what I meant.

"Wow, impressive." He said shortly. I waited for him to continue. "I love her, but I hate myself every day for doing this to her. She is human, and deserves the chance to _live_ like a human. I'm really afraid that it's just too late for that. First she was attacked by another vampire, because of me. Then Jasper nearly killed her last September, because she gave herself a _paper cut_ opening a _birthday present_. So we left, I made us leave. And it just… it was too late."

I nodded in understanding. Earlier at school had completely convinced me that Isabella Swan was a pitchfork short of an angry mob; as Uncle Dan used to say. I gestured for him to continue. "Alice, well she has a gift. Sort of like my mind reading, only she gets visions of things that are going to happen, usually in the near future. She saw… well she saw Bella jumping off a cliff, and due to some… technicalities, it happened to look like a suicide, and I suppose you could say that I pulled a Romeo." He said, his voice turning harsh.

I felt my eyebrows rise in surprise. "Ah. The Volturi, assisting vampire suicides since god only knows when." I said lightly. "So I'm guessing she stopped you, right?"

He nodded once, curtly. "It was certainly a close call. The price of us getting out of there alive was her making a deal that she would remove the liability she presented by becoming like us. I tried to tell her once we returned to Forks that that was really quite unnecessary, but she's been rather persisting in her efforts to convince my family as well as myself that this is the best option. Right now Rosalie is the only one who has remained on my side." He explained.

I took the time to process what he was telling me. "And is it only because she's afraid to incur the wrath of the most dangerous vampires in the world that she wants you to turn her? Or is it something more?" I asked.

He stared resolutely out the windshield, not even glancing over at me, so I guessed I was right. "She wants to be like you because she wants to be with you." I guessed.

The hard set of his mouth told me I was right. "She doesn't understand what she's asking me to do." He said darkly, after a few minutes of silence.

For the first time since meeting these strange anomalies, I was completely certain we were on exactly the same page. "Maybe not. But I do." I replied. His eyes shot to mine.

"You kill vampires as a way of life. You've doubtlessly seen what some of us can do. Tell me you don't think there's a way for someone like me to have a _soul_." He said, his words sounding strangely like a plea.

I thought about my answer to that. Clearly everything I knew was far too black and white. Suddenly I was surrounded by shades of gray. Even after spending such a short time with them I could tell that Esme was more motherly than my own ever had been, and Carlisle seemed to be the most caring individual I'd ever met. How could they not have souls?

Next I tried to put myself in Bella's shoes. If I was the one in love with a dangerous mythical…_something_, would I give everything up to be with them forever? I couldn't answer that fairly, I'd never been in love. I guess I was a true romantic deep down though, because I finally settled on what I wanted to say.

I took a deep breath. "If you'd asked me that last week I'd probably wholeheartedly agree with you. But honestly, look at yourself. Look at Carlisle—Esme… you're telling me that they don't have souls? That they don't have the capacity to care about the difference between right and wrong? That they are incapable of compassion? These are the marks of a soul Edward.

"The minute you decided to not take the easy way out, the minute you chose to make the very best of yourself even in these circumstances, it was then that you proved that you have soul." I said slowly, testing my words in my head first to make sure they weren't a lie.

He shook his head, letting out a sad-sounding sigh. "I appreciate that, really I do. And I know that at least part of what you're saying is true. But I cannot give Bella what she's so certain she wants unless I'm absolutely sure. I won't banish her to Hell for my own selfish means."

"Hell? Can you see your family in Hell Edward?" I asked seriously.

"Can you see vampires in heaven?" He returned. For once in my life I had nothing to retort with. "There's no certainty either way, but from what I know of Christianity, it's not likely my family and I will ever be admitted to anywhere except perhaps Hell, where all things unworthy are banished."

I searched around for a reply. "Well worth is proven, so prove it." I muttered.

He scoffed, though I could see the glimmer of hope in his eyes—even if it was overpowered by cynicism. "Oh, well thank you for that, pardon me for doubting your sincerity."

"Well just read my mind and see my _sincerity_ for yourself. If you can, that is." I said, turning my words into some sort of a challenge.

He rolled his eyes. "Not at all." His words were light enough to break the growing tension in the small car.

I grinned. "Excellent." He laughed and remarked on my level of maturity. I stuck my tongue out childishly.

"So, I can take you back to your car now, unless you want to go visit Vampire Central again." He offered.

"Oh, I think I've had enough of you all for the day." I remarked jokingly. "My truck is still at the school." I added.

When we got to the parking lot, he pulled up alongside my Ford and let his Volvo idle. "I can honestly say it was a pleasure to meet you Evie Halloway. I'm glad Bella will finally have a human to talk to about all of this, I worry that she gets overwhelmed sometimes and has nowhere to turn except to the ones causing the problems."

I opened the door and grabbed my bag before climbing out. I slammed the door shut and leaned in the open window. "Well I'm here to help in any way that I can. It's gonna be hard for us to work together, but just keep in mind that I'm your best shot at survival, and I'll keep in mind that you _do_ have soul." I said pointedly.

Edward gave me a look that even I couldn't decipher. "See you tomorrow Evie." He said shortly, before peeling out of the parking lot. I shook my head exasperatedly as I climbed into my truck and turned the keys in the ignition.

"Vampires."

* * *

**so, this was just to get the storyline rolling... let the action begin!! **  
**reviews are love!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for the reviews!! It's good to know ya'll are still interested in this story! And, as a side-note, I never meant to cast Bella in a negative light. I'm not trying to make her seem like a complete ditz, this is just from Evie's point of view, and she's a bit on the cynical side herself. **

**That said, continue to let me know what you think! This chapter gets more into the events of Eclipse. It's also substantially longer than most of the chapters in this story so far, hope it makes up for being MIA for so long!**

_**  
~wwsadd**_

* * *

Borderline Dangerous

The week passed and I fell into a sort of routine with the Cullens. We'd meet at lunch and act civil but not overly-friendly, Bella and I would go to class and we would talk in whispers about what had been going on for the previous couple of years in Forks.

After school I'd head to her house, make polite small talk with her cop-dad, and then make a quick exit after a couple hours "hanging out" and spend the rest of the evening at the Cullen place, talking to Carlisle or Edward about vampires, hunters, and the activity that had started up in Seattle. Something strange was going on there.

Esme quickly fell into the habit of having something ready for me to eat for dinner, and each night I was there she reminded me more and more of a mother.

Bella had been grounded for her fieldtrip to Italy, which I'd been informed that her dad was under some serious misconceptions about. Thursday at lunch however, she announced that she was free. Everyone seemed pretty excited, especially Alice. Until her face went blank and she became completely unresponsive for a whole two minutes.

I was a quick learner, and between the looks on Bella and Edward's faces, Alice was having a vision. My mind jumped immediately to John. It'd only been a week! Had he already gotten bored hunting the real demons of the world? Or was he just that vindictive?

The moment was awkwardly smoothed over, but I brought it up as we were sitting in History. "What was that at lunch?" I whispered, glancing around.

Bella's eyes swept the room too. "A vision. But I don't know what. And I have a feeling they aren't going to share. Sometimes they're infuriatingly overprotective." She muttered.

I sighed. "Well, they'll tell me." I pointed out.

She shot me a dirty look. "Of course they will. And you'll tell me. Right?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Sure. It's dangerous enough what you're doing, without being in the dark about possible…obstacles." I hissed back.

Alice pulled me aside roughly as soon as our final classes let out. "Hey, Edward's going to go over to Bella's. You should just come back to the house with me…we need to discuss something." She said quietly. I nodded curtly, not particularly enjoying the fact that they seemed to deliberately be trying to keep something important from Bella. My bet was that whatever it was, she needed to know.

We hurried to catch up to them; they were talking to Mike, something about his car. We all climbed in Edward's Volvo, and Edward and Alice kept up a string of nonsense-chatter all the way to the turn-off to their house. "Hey Bella, Evie and I have some things to work on for Advanced Art. We'll see you tomorrow!" Alice chirped brightly, motioning for me to jump out of the car too.

I shot Bella an apologetic look, to which she gave an exasperated sigh. As soon as the Volvo disappeared back down the street, I turned and started walking down the shaded path to the house. "Start talking Alice." I demanded.

She sighed. "Okay, your little crazy slayer friends aren't our biggest problem at the moment." She began. I let out a sigh of relief. She looked at me like maybe I'd lost it.

"So whatever you saw earlier, it had nothing to do with John Winchester?" I asked.

She shook her head. "What? No. How much has Bella told you about our _friend_ Victoria?"

I remembered the quiet conversation about what had happened in Phoenix, and shuddered. "Right, James' psychopathic girlfriend. What about her?"

Alice laughed. "Sorry, it still amazes me that vampires don't scare you." I smirked. "Anyway, she wants to kill Bella because Edward killed James. Which isn't technically true, but water under a bridge. Love for love, you know? She's been around a bit the last few months, but I just had a vision of her getting _really_ close. So Edward's going to try to convince Bella to go visit her mother in Jacksonville for the weekend so we can hopefully get rid of Victoria once and for all."

I laughed. "Finally! A vampire I'm allowed to kill!" I said happily. I was afraid I was going to go soft, hanging out with good vampires all the time.

Alice grinned. "If you can catch her, go for it. She's a fast psychopath." She pointed out, echoing my earlier comment.

We'd made it up the porch steps when I turned back to her, something she'd said finally clicking in my brain. "Wait, so you just told me she'd been around the last few months, right?" I asked.

She raised one dark eyebrow. "Yes. She's just been making her way up and down the coastline, since January or so. Why?"

I gave her a pointed look. "You guys just got back like, two and a half weeks ago. If this vampire chick's goal is to kill Bella, didn't she have a whole two months to do it, without you being around to stop her? Who was playing babysitter while you were on vacation?" I asked.

Her mouth opened as if to reply, and then closed again, twice. She finally spoke, turning away from me and toward the door, her hand on the knob. "Oh, uh, about that…" She trailed off, leading the way inside.

*********

Ten minutes later I was pacing around her ridiculously plush gigantic room. "What do you mean _werewolves!_?" I asked, for the second time since she'd dragged me up here.

"You know, like massively big smelly dogs." She replied shortly, sitting fluidly down in the window seat.

I shot her a dirty look. "So now there're vampires and werewolves? Don't y'all hate each other? What gives?" I demanded. Good vampires? Fine, I could deal with that. But good vampires playing nice with their archenemies? Was I completely oblivious all these years, or had the world had actually turned upside down?

"Well, we don't hate them… And Bella's best friend Jake is one of them. He took care of her while we were… _away_. We have a treaty with them, as long as we don't harm humans, they won't attack us, and they won't tell anyone about our existence." She explained.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a migraine coming on. "So let me guess. They're _good_ werewolves." I said, making sure my sarcasm was apparent in my voice.

Alice sighed. "I know, it's a lot to process. But just bear with us, okay? We could really use your help with this." She said softly.

I groaned, but nodded in assent. What other choice did I have? "Alright alright, I'm in. But look, I'm gonna head back to my motel room and do some research. There's some weird stuff going on in Seattle, and I've gotta decide if I wanna call in any backup. Can we talk about the whole werewolf issue tomorrow?" I requested.

"Backup?" She asked, clearly ignoring my question.

"Yes. There's more than just one rogue vampire in Seattle, and with your issues with Victoria and now your furry new friends, I have enough to deal with here without splitting my focus. I've been debating calling in some friends, but they won't be on the same page as far as this little alliance we have going on here, and I'm not sure whether I'm willing to risk it or not just yet." I explained, making my way to her bedroom door.

Alice's eyes widened in obvious apprehension. "Whatever you think is best I suppose." She said hesitantly. I nodded and made my exit as silently as possible. The large house still gave me the creeps, just knowing so many people were present without being able to sense their presence.

*********

When I got safely back to my room, I locked the door and flopped down on my bed, pulling Uncle Dan's journal out and flipping through it with a practiced hand. I left it open in front of me, staring at the rough impression of a wolf-man. It stood up on two feet, claws and teeth both sharpened and threatening.

I shuddered. Bella's best friend was _that_? She was seriously off her rocker. I read through the short notes that were scrawled under the picture. Apparently werewolves were temperamental, but none too intelligent. If they became a problem, well, it'd be an easy problem to handle.

Besides, according to Uncle Dan's records, they were only dangerous on certain days—in accordance with the lunar cycle. And moreover, how many could there possibly be? You had to be bitten to turn into one, and if they were _good_ werewolves, as Alice claimed, they wouldn't be running around ruining peoples' lives… right?

Closing the book disgustedly, I pulled out my phone and the worn old business card that I'd kept for so many years. After a few minutes of intense internal debate, I tossed the card back in the nightstand with the pistol, and flipped my phone open. I dialed a number that I knew by heart.

" …`ello?" The raspy voice answered. I grinned. Wasted already.

"Hey Ash! It's Evie." I replied.

"Oh hey E! How goes it? Been a while since we heard from ya." He drawled.

I laughed. "Yeah well I've been pretty good about keeping myself out of trouble for the most part. Until recently that is. Did you hear about my uncle?" I asked.

There was a short silence. "Yeah, E, sorry about that. We woulda come to a funeral, but Ellen said you'd prob'ly a'ready cleared outta town."

I nodded, though I realized he couldn't see me. "She was right, as usual. Anyway, I'm out west now, working on something my uncle had asked me to do. But I could really use a favor." I hinted.

I heard a slight chuckle on the other end of the line. "That's what I'm here for. What do ya need?"

I took a deep breath. I trusted Ash. Ellen Harvelle too, even if her daughter Jo was a bit of a ditz to be allowed out on hunts alone, in my opinion. Even so, I wasn't sure either of them would take kindly to the fact that I was working with vampires. So I kept it simple.

"Seattle. Vampires. Just let me know if you hear anything. I have it under control right now, but this seems to be a bizarre case, even by my standards. I just want to keep my bases covered." I explained.

"Bases, check." Ash replied, causing me to laugh again.

"Thanks Ash, I owe you! Anyway, give my love to Ellen and Jo, and I'll be sure to come around again soon." I promised.

"Take care, E!" He said, before I heard a distinct click. I sighed and tossed my phone on the nightstand. This was getting complicated. Complicated was never good on a hunt. Get in; take care of business, and get out was how I'd always operated. Too bad that theory didn't work here.

Rolling over onto my back, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. It wasn't even dark yet, but I knew I needed an extra long sleep, unless I wanted to crack from stress.

*********

The next day in History, I approached the subject, wanting Bella's take on it. "So… Alice and I had an interesting conversation about your…" I cleared my throat, "pets." I decided on the least insulting word I could think of.

I heard her sharp intake of breath but kept my eyes trained on the teacher. "What? How did you…?"

"It came up kind of randomly actually, when I asked how you'd managed to keep yourself out of trouble when they were gone. Wanna explain to me what the hell you're thinking?" I hissed quietly.

It took her a few minutes to answer. "Alright, I know it looks bad, but please trust me. Jake's a good guy, a really _really_ good guy. And all I've done is hurt him. He's my best friend, but Edward is being so difficult, and won't let me go see him." She told me, the sadness apparent in her voice, as soft as it was.

I snorted, earning a glare from the girl sitting in front of me, who shot the dirty look over her shoulder. I was even quieter than before when I retorted. "Won't _let_ you? Look B, your life, your choice. I'm not saying I'm an advocate of… _dogs_, but make sure that the decisions you make are yours and yours alone. Otherwise you'll end up with nothing but a lifetime full of regrets." I whispered.

She sighed. "I want to see Jake. I feel like I need to explain so many things to him. But now just isn't a good time." She defended.

"There's no time like the present." I muttered back, wondering why I was so intent on playing devil's advocate all of the sudden.

"I know. Edward and I are going to Florida this weekend to see my mom, but the minute we get back I'll go see him, even if it means you have to _detain_ Edward so I can get down to La Push." She said, her tone turning light and teasing.

I snickered quietly. "Gladly."

I sidestepped her questions about Alice's vision of the day before, realizing it was in everyone's best interest to just leave it be until she and Edward got back from Jacksonville.

*********

That night I took Daniel's journal and a small bag of necessities and headed over to the Cullens' for a night of intense discussion.

I ran into Eric on the way out. I'd remained friendly at school, but I hadn't had time to keep up the charade outside of the classroom setting. "Hey stranger!" He called.

I stopped, cursing mentally and plastering a fake smile on my face. "Hey Eric! What's up?"I asked, as though I cared.

He shrugged self-consciously. "Not too much. Hey, are you busy tomorrow night? I wanted to see if maybe you would like to see a movie in Port Angeles or something…" He trailed off.

I held back a groan. "You know, that sounds like a lot of fun. But I actually promised Alice Cullen I'd help her with a big senior Art project this weekend. Rain check?" I asked, wanting to kick myself.

His face fell, though only slightly. "Sure…so…you actually get along with the Cullens…right? Don't you ever get the feeling they're kind of… I don't know, off?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

I smiled brightly, though my heart sped up strangely. "Oh, I didn't get that impression at all! I think maybe they're just misunderstood… They seem nice enough to me anyway. Hey, I'll catch up to you at school on Monday, okay?" I asked hurriedly, wanting to be out of the awkward social situation. I'd take a bloodthirsty demon over turning down dates any day.

Making a quick exit, I jumped in my truck and hightailed it to the Cullen place. I had planned my arrival for just after Bella and Edward left for the airport—no sense in making her even more suspicious. Alice let me in with a cheery smile. "For the record, you and I are working on an Art project all weekend if anyone asks." I informed her, making my way into the spacious living room.

She laughed lightly. "Who'd you run into?"

"Eric Yorkie. Actually it's a good thing I had this as an excuse, or I might have felt obligated to accept his offer of a date tomorrow night." I complained, with an exaggerated shudder. Alice giggled again, falling gracefully onto the couch. I dropped my bag and sat down next to her, pulling my feet up under me.

"Poor you." She mocked. I stuck my tongue out.

"You're lucky everyone's too scared of you to even think of making a move on you." I muttered. She stuck her tongue out at me in retaliation.

We were quickly joined by the rest of the family, sans-Edward, of course.

Alice began recounting, in detail, the vision she had. "This could be tricky; we have to mind the line." She finished.

"I'm sorry, what line?" I asked, confused.

"The line between our land and the land that the dogs control. We can't cross it." Emmett informed me. "It's a major pain in the ass." He added.

"Oh. Wonderful." I replied.

"As long as we come at her from every side, it shouldn't be impossible to keep her from crossing into their territory." Jasper, decidedly my least favorite Cullen, said.

"I thought you guys were _friends_."I pointed out.

"In theory." Rosalie muttered, and I held back a laugh. I could see why Bella didn't like her, but she wasn't nearly as goody-two-shoes as the rest of the Cullens, and I appreciated her darker sense of humor.

"Fair enough. Looks like we know what my job's going to be." I said.

"You know Evelyn, I feel like we shouldn't be asking you to take a part in this. It could be dangerous." Carlisle said, the sincerity in his expression too clear to allow me to be angry. I actually really appreciated how much he had stepped in for my Uncle Dan in the last week; even refusing to call me Evie. It was weirdly comforting.

I shrugged off my sentimental feelings. "I know, and I thank you for the concern Carlisle, but keep in mind that my uncle, the one who raised me, is the only hunter that ever got close to outsmarting you. I'm capable of taking care of myself. I'm here; I might as well make myself useful, right?" I asked.

He seemed hesitant to agree with me, but finally conceded. "So, what is your job, as you see it?" He asked.

I grinned. "Well ya'll may have made a treaty with the La Push werewolves, but _I_ didn't. That means I can cross the line if need be. I'll be border control." I said, fidgeting with the knife I'd pulled out of my boot.

The game plan we came up with was simple, but sounded effective. As much disdain as I felt toward Jasper, he was pretty much a genius in strategy.

*********

It seemed as though everything was going to go smoothly. I was hidden up in a tree that stood precisely on what they told me was the "line". The knife Uncle Daniel had given me so long ago was clutched tightly in my hands. I didn't know why I was so nervous; I'd done this a million times. I guess deep down I still couldn't get over my prejudice against the Cullens. They were vampires and my instincts were telling me they were going to betray me.

The sky was dark, large wet raindrops began to fall, quickly soaking through my long dark hair, and my black tank and green cargo pants. I shivered, wishing I'd worn something warmer; it never rained this much in Colorado.

It seemed like hours later when I finally sensed a change in the atmosphere. My knuckles turned white even through my darker coloring, my fingers were gripping the handle of my knife so hard. I barely breathed, waiting for the moment I should spring into action.

Then three things seemed to happen in quick succession. First, I heard Emmett and Jasper completely giving away their position; a sound like an avalanche assaulted my ears. Second, a deep snarling seemed to completely surround us. And third, something, or rather _someone_, dashed past the tree where I was hidden. She was so fast that all I caught was a blur the color of fire before she was gone.

Alice had been right, she was a quick one. I dropped lithely from the branches and took off after her, knowing I couldn't catch her, but hoping I could track her. She wasn't being as careful as she ought to have been, and her trail was easy to follow—broken branches littered the path I followed.

I was confident that when we got far enough away from the Cullens that she didn't feel threatened anymore, she would turn on me, and then I would finish her.

My plan was simple, but it was one that had worked many a time. Vampires _always_ underestimated hunters. I sprinted after her, breathing evenly and making sure not to loosen the grip of the knife in my hand. There was a clearing in the trees up ahead, and squinting, I could see that if I didn't slow down, I was going to run right over the edge of the cliffs that opened up onto the Pacific Ocean.

Skidding to a halt, I looked around, and listened intently to the sounds of the forest.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" A lilting voice asked. I spun, catching my first full view of the vampire that could only be Victoria. Her wild eyes matched her fiery hair. Her lips were curled into a smirk far more vicious than the one I tended to sport.

I lifted my chin defiantly. "New friend of the Cullens. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I think I've lied enough this week." I replied.

"They have certainly made a habit out of keeping humans pets." She remarked, clucking her tongue as if to scold me. "Vampires are not good company to keep little girl."

I laughed lightly. "Neither are hunters." I muttered. Her eyes zeroed in on the knife clutched in my hand. I dropped into a crouch, ready for the real work to begin.

At that precise moment I heard something that sounded like an earthquake. It was accompanied by more snarling, and a deep growl that sent shivers down my spine. I wondered what the hell kind of a game the Cullens were playing while I was trying to solve their little problem.

The next second, there was a thunderous crashing noise, and I groaned. "Damn bloodsuckers." I cursed, turning and dashing back the way I came. There was a moment when I thought Victoria might attack me from behind, but throwing a glance over my shoulder I saw that she had disappeared.

I thought after four years on the job, nothing would ever truly be able to shock me, good vampires aside. But when I made it back to where I had left my new _friends_, I nearly stopped breathing. Everyone was poised to attack, snarls and growls ripping from the monsters on both side of the almost tangible line.

The vampires couldn't hold my attention, however, because the hugely gigantic wolves had me completely mesmerized. I'd never seen anything like them before. I didn't even feel the knife drop out of my hands, I was so stunned. They were the largest wolves I'd ever seen, but moreover they did not resemble at all the images of werewolves I'd seen and heard described.

And there were so _many_ of them! There was no way that all of them had been bitten without some sort of word spreading through the hunter-world. My sudden and apparently unexpected appearance halted whatever major fight was about to go down. I took a couple of deep breaths before crouching down to pick up my abandoned knife.

"Hate to break up the love fest, but your little friend got away from me." I stated, crossing back into what seemed to be 'vampire land'. The wolf I passed closest to swung his large reddish-brown head around to fix me with a astonishingly intelligent gaze. I stumbled in shock, nearly cutting myself with my own knife.

Straightening up, I stowed it back in my boot—I could only imagine how much worse the situation could get if human blood became in any way involved. I'd managed not to break eye-contact with the wolf that seemed to be staring me down, as I backed up slowly.

The silence of my surroundings finally broke through the fog in my brain. The red wolf's large gentle eyes widened considerably, and then it let out a yelp. It was a strange, non-threatening sound, but caused a shiver to run down my back. Seemingly simultaneously, all the wolves turned and fled back the direction that I had come, quickly disappearing into the trees.

I turned my attention back to the matter at hand. The vampires were standing in a loose grouping, but they all still seemed tensed for a fight. "Sorry I lost Victoria; it sounded like the earth was ripping apart so I figured I needed to come investigate." I said, hating how breathless my voice sounded.

Everyone seemed dazed. "We'll get her next time…" Emmett mumbled. "What the hell was that?" He added, as though what had just happened had finally registered in his brain.

I tried to laugh, though it sounded off. "That was an eye-opener." I half-joked. Alice shot me a dirty look.

"We _told_ you about the werewolves." She snapped.

I laughed for real this time. "Hate to break it to you guys, but those are _not_ werewolves."

**

* * *

**

P.S. for those of you that don't watch _**Supernatural**_**, Ash is a guy that does a lot with technology to help hunters (i.e. the Winchesters) with their jobs. Ellen is the wife of a hunter that was killed, and Jo, her daughter **_**tries**_** to be a hunter. **

**Hope that clears up any confusion!**

**Review! you know you want to!**


	8. Chapter 8

**This is my favorite chapter so far! **

**Let me know what you think!!!**

_**~wwsadd**_

* * *

Simply Complicated

I finished wringing out my wet hair over the sink in the Cullens' kitchen. The six agitated vampires stood in varying poses around the seldom-used room. "Let's go over this one more time." Jasper insisted.

I sighed, pulling myself up on the counter and letting my feet swing lightly back and forth. "Werewolves are bad." I stressed, pretending I was talking to a two year old. "Those… things in the forest were not evil, they were just… scary." I decided on that word after a moment of intense internal debate. "There's a huge difference."

"But _they_ call themselves werewolves, it's not like that's what we decided to call them on a whim." He replied. I bit back the nasty retort that came to mind. Something told me Jasper and I would be arguing a lot over the course of the time that I would be spending here.

"Well they must be confused. From what you guys have told me, their ability to morph into giant dogs is somewhat voluntary, _and_ it's hereditary. Between those two things, they are not werewolves." I stressed.

"You know, horror movies don't get a whole lot right, but there is some truth to the whole lunar cycle thing when it comes to werewolves, and besides, _most_ of the time a werewolf is made, not born. There are exceptions, but not a whole pack full." I said, producing Uncle Dan's journal and flipping to the page to show them.

Carlisle pulled the old book from me gently and spent a moment studying the page. "Then what do you propose our Quileute friends are?" He asked.

"Shape-shifters. They're called different things in different parts of the world… loup-garou in France, lupo-mannero in Italy… the Old Norse legends of wolf-warriors are based in truth too. There are all kinds of possibilities, honestly. The term werewolf is usually used in very negative instances… you know, when curses of sorts are involved." I explained.

"Aw man! Does this mean we aren't allowed to have a feud with them anymore?" Emmett asked. I grinned at him, he was certainly a character.

"Let's just say they have far more reason to dislike you than you do to dislike them. But hey, you wanna attack them, go for it." I said. "Just don't come crying to me when they _dominate_ you." I added. Emmett looked outraged, and was about to respond when Alice cut him off.

"So… if you're a hunter…do you kill shape-shifters too? Or is your hatred biased towards things that _don't_ have fangs?" She chirped, appearing to not be surprised by any of the information presented.

I pretended to think about her question. In reality, I'd never been faced with a shape-shifter situation, at least not one where the right choice wasn't obvious. Some were evil, but those generally were the ones that had made deals with demons, which made my decision to hunt them down pretty clearly the right one.

But what about when the shape-shifters were good? From what I could gather, the Quileutes didn't hurt anyone by existing, and they didn't fraternize with beings from hell…so who was I to act all high and mighty and decide they shouldn't get to live because they weren't the same as me? That seemed to take racism to a whole new level.

"Look, like my uncle I don't attack anything that wouldn't attack me if given the chance. Obviously that's why you all are still alive…so to speak." I said with a smirk.

Everyone but Rosalie laughed. "So, when's the redhead with the attitude problem coming back?" She asked, turning abruptly to Alice. The pixie-like vampire paused to think for a second.

"I'm not sure. I don't see her trying again anytime soon. I think Evie scared her off for the time being…" She trailed off, and then shot me a look. "The wolves, or whatever _they_ are, mess with my ability to see things. What exactly went down between you and Victoria?" She asked.

I sighed. "She said that you all seemed to have a habit of making pets out of humans, and that vampires are really bad company to keep; as if I didn't know that. I told her that hunters didn't make the best company either, and then we were just about to face off when there was a sound like a cannon going off and I got a feeling that I didn't have time to deal with her, because _someone_ was causing trouble." I teased, shooting Emmett a playful glare, which he chuckled at.

All at once the excitement of the last couple of days crashed down on me. Stretching my arms up above my head for a second, I stifled a yawn and glanced around. "Okay, so Victoria is a non-issue for the moment, the _werewolves_ are non-evil, so from where I'm standing, things aren't too bad right now. I think I'm gonna head back and get some sleep; tomorrow's Sunday, and we actually _do_ have an Art project due on Monday that I haven't started." I told Alice.

"Do you need any help?" She offered, obviously hers was already done. Annoying overachieving vampires.

I shook my head. "No thanks, I'll get it done. I'll see you all in a couple days." I said, throwing up a peace sign and making a quick exit.

*********

When I woke up the next morning my head was pounding and my throat felt like I'd swallowed a bunch of gravel. "Damn the rain!" I rasped out loud to myself. I rarely got sick, but when I did it was pretty killer.

I spent the day in bed with Uncle Dan's journal. The shape-shifter issue was really puzzling me. That wolf that had been staring at me seemed so… gentle…despite the fact that he was ten times the size of a normal wolf and had been on the offensive.

I mean, if I could accept good vampires, how could I not accept good shape-shifters? The Quileutes' ability to transform was genetic, and if the only thing they hunted was vampires…I should be commending them, not questioning their motives.

I argued out both sides, and finally had to admit that the pros far outweighed the cons. By late afternoon, I was feeling worse instead of better, and was debating skipping school the next morning. That stupid art project wasn't anywhere near done; as in wasn't started yet.

Around dinnertime my phone started flashing and vibrating, I'd turned the sound off due to my headache.

"Hello?" I rasped.

"Evie? Are you alright?" The voice immediately filled with concern.

I cleared my throat, wincing, and replied. "Hey B. I'm alright, I'm not used to the weather here, and I think the constant rain gave me a bit of a cold. How was Jacksonville?" I asked.

"Warm." She said, her voice turning teasing. I stuck my tongue out at the receiver, but didn't comment. "Seriously though, if you aren't feeling well you should stop by the Cullens'…don't forget that Carlisle's a doctor." She reminded me.

"As convenient as that undoubtedly is, I think I'll survive. I might skip out on school tomorrow though, if you think you can survive without me." I said, mirroring her joking tone.

"It'll be a challenge!" She quipped. "But…uh…I might stop by after school and visit you, if that's cool. I wanna talk to you about something." She said hesitantly.

"Sure thing B. Catchya tomorrow." I said, my throat beginning to burn from talking so much.

When we hung up I tossed my phone on the nightstand and reached up to turn off the light.

*********

The sunlight streaming in the window woke me far earlier the next morning than I'd bargained for. Or maybe it had been the dream… the large expressive eyes, the maze of trees that smothered out the weak sunlight, the eerie tension-filled silence, the knowledge that something terrible had almost happened.

Groaning, I shot a glance at the antique alarm clock on the nightstand. I had an hour before school started, and as horrible as I felt, I couldn't stand the thought of spending another whole day in the cramped motel room.

Stumbling over to the small closet, I pulled on a dark pair of torn-up jeans and a plain green tank top that didn't fall quite to the top of my jeans. I slid my feet into the boots by the door and grabbed my bag as I hit the light and pulled the door shut behind me.

The air was cooler than I'd bargained for, and I cursed Washington's climate again, pulling my long dark hair back into a sloppy bun to keep it from whipping me in the face in this wind. I drove to school, getting there earlier than I usually would, and took a few minutes to put a little bit of makeup on. I was still sick and knew that it would be easy to tell unless I put some color back on my face.

I was so intent on what I was doing that I failed to notice Edward's Volvo pull into the parking lot. When I glanced up, a small crowd seemed to have gathered on the sidewalk, and I could just make out the strange shade of Edward's hair through the onlookers. I couldn't see what was going on, so I threw everything back in my bag and jumped out of my truck, slamming the door and making my way quickly over to where _something_ was clearly going down.

I slipped past Tyler Crowley and Mike and Angela's boyfriend Ben. "Hey boys." I muttered, and then hurried to where Bella and Edward were standing, seemingly faced off against someone. Making my way to Bella's side my breath caught in my throat.

The bike was striking, sleek and black and dangerous-looking. But it wasn't anywhere close to as impressive as the person sitting astride it. He was… beautiful. In that edgy mysterious kind of way. He was muscled all the way up, fitting well with the whole biker-image he was sporting.

He was unmistakably Native American, adding to the vast contrast between him and Edward, who seemed to be barely breathing on the other side of a very-confused looking Bella. What sidetracked me the most however, was the way his dark hair fell into his dark eyes. Eyes that seemed startlingly familiar, like I'd seen them before.

Then it hit me, I did know those eyes. They had haunted my dreams for the last two nights. It…he was the wolf from the woods… I gasped, and heard someone else make a shocked noise too. Tearing my eyes away from the boy on the bike, I turned to Bella and Edward. Edward's gaze caught mine, his eyes wide in intense surprise.

Clearing my throat, and trying to clear my head, I examined the situation. Edward's posture was defensive, Bella looked worried. Obviously they were in the middle of some sort of argument with the yet-unnamed Quileute.

"Well this is comfortable." I remarked sarcastically, just to break the silence.

Bella gave a nervous laugh before shooting a look at Edward that I failed to decipher. "Just as comfortable as always!" She chirped, turning back toward me. "Evie, this is Jacob Black, Jake this is our new friend Evie. Jake was just about to explain what exactly happened this weekend." She said sternly.

From behind us we heard the purposeful sounding footsteps that could only be an approaching teacher. "Oh, well seeing as our little party is about to be broken up, _I'll_ explain..." I said, gesturing back to my truck. "Let's blow this joint." I muttered.

Jake, as he'd been introduced, laughed once before kicking his bike back to life. "I'll catch ya later Bells." He said shortly, and then shot a look in my direction that sent a shiver down my spine. He took off quickly, the bike growling impressively. Edward hissed something under his breath that I didn't catch, but I'm sure it wasn't kind.

"B, let's go." I said quietly. Edward shot me a dirty look.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He asked furiously.

"To clue your girlfriend in. You know, since you didn't think it was necessary. Cool your jets; we'll be back by lunch time. Just do us a favor, cover for us." I said, pointing discreetly at the fast-approaching teacher. I grabbed Bella by the hand and pulled her through the small crowd that had gathered, skirted the parking lot, and led the way to my truck.

"Get in." I said shortly, manually unlocking the doors and waiting for her to climb in.

Starting the engine, I threw it into drive and sped up, clearing the parking lot and hitting the highway in mere seconds.

"Slow down Evie, you're worse than Edward. There is such thing as a speed limit, you know?" She grumbled. I laughed.

"Sure, I know that. I take them as…friendly suggestions. You know, the kind I ignore." I said lightly.

"Right, because getting pulled over by Charlie right now would be freaking fantastic." She snapped.

I eased off the gas, realizing she was right. Her dad pulling us over while we were skipping school…definitely not an ideal situation. "Okay okay, you win." I told her.

"So… about this weekend. What happened? I know something went down between the wolves and the Cullens… Jake and Edward just wouldn't tell me what. Or why." She added.

I sighed, following the curving road aimlessly. "Alice had a vision of that vampire Victoria coming after you again; she seems like such a fan." I said sarcastically.

Bella snorted. "Tell me about it. And that's why Edward insisted we go to Florida? Why doesn't he _ever_ tell me these things?" She asked, frustration coloring her tone.

I shrugged. "I honestly don't have an answer for you. I think he just would rather protect you from anything that could hurt you, you know, including the knowledge that Victoria is still trying to kill you." I explained. She looked like she was going to argue, so I cut her off. "I'm not saying it was right, or that I agree with him. That's just the way it seems to be."

"Okay. Fair enough. And what actually went down this weekend?" She asked.

"We came up with a plan to finish Victoria off once and for all, but she's a smart one, and crossed over into Quileute territory. I followed her, caught up to her on the cliffs, and I would have… solved the problem…if the wolves and the Cullens hadn't started fighting over the stupid _line_." I said, aggravated. "I had to go make sure none of your _friends_ killed each other."

There was a shocked silence. "You…you were going to fight Victoria yourself? Are you crazy?!" She asked.

I laughed. "Calm yourself B. I'm a vampire hunter. It's what I _do_. Remember? Victoria wasn't the first, and she certainly won't be the last. I'm actually really good at what I do, when I'm actually allowed to do it." I said, shooting her a look.

"I still think you need _help_." She grumbled.

"This coming from the girl that is dating a vampire and is best friends with a werewolf. Maybe we should both go to counseling." I stated.

She laughed. "I've always wanted to live in a padded room and wear a straightjacket." She joked.

"They _are_ totally in vogue this season." I replied, laughing too.

"So, what do I do now? I don't want Jake and Edward to hate each other, and I don't want Jake to hate _me_." She said, turning serious.

"From everything you've told me, Jake's been there for you through a hell of a lot. Something tells me he's not turning his back on you. As far as them getting along though… I think the only common ground they have is you." I told her pointedly.

"I know that. What's your point?" She asked suspiciously.

She was so naïve. "Alright. Edward wants to protect you from what?" I asked slowly.

"Every shady-looking person on the planet… the wolves… the Volturi…Victoria…" She listed. I held back a laugh.

"And Jake wants to protect you from?" I continued.

She sighed. "Myself…the Cullens…Victoria…" She trailed off.

"Bingo." I said lightly. "Common ground can make friends out of the worst of enemies. As long as they're focused on Victoria and keeping you safe from her, then they're working toward a common goal. This hopefully means they won't waste time fighting with each other." I explained.

She laughed, sounding relieved. "Evie, you're a genius."

I smirked. "I know."

* * *

**so...?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since my last update… I no longer have a laptop, so I have to use my parents' desktop computer, which slows down my writing a lot :( ****Anyway… this is a short one, but I felt like y'all deserved an update! Please review! **

_**~wwsadd**_

_**oh, and so sorry about the line spacing. my computer is fighting with me... and winning :(**_

* * *

Long-Distance Relationships

I dropped Bella back off at school just as class should have been letting out for lunch. Then I hit the gas and sped back to my motel room. The day seemed to last forever.

Falling into bed I pulled out my cell phone and dialed a familiar number. It kept ringing far longer than it usually did. Finally it hit voicemail, no introduction, just a beep.

«Hey Ash; it's Evie. Sorry to call again so soon, but things are getting…. Complicated here. And I was just wondering if you've heard anything else. Oh, and if you hear anything about John Winchester, please let me know. Thanks man.» I said, and hung up.

I rolled over to my back and stared at the cracks in the ceiling, wondering what was going to go wrong next.

Bella was in way over her head. Edward was too stubborn to accept that things needed to _change_. Charlie was totally clueless, Carlisle had too much faith in people, and Alice was way too optimistic. I mean, they were all great; but seriously, no one was being realistic here. The Volturi were no trifling matter, and _werewolves_? It sounded like some sick fairy tale.

My musings twisted and turned in disturbing circles. I came up with no resolutions, no answers. I felt like pulling my hair out. When my phone started to sing I groaned. I couldn't handle Bella's questions or Edward's worrying or Alice's over-cheerfulness right now.

The number didn't register in my caller id, so I quickly hit the little green button and held the reciever to my ear. «Evie Halloway.» I answered automatically.

«Hey'ya Evie. This is Dean Winchester, we met in Colorado?»

A shock ran through me. «Oh, hi Dean. How's it goin'?» I asked, pulling myself into a sitting position.

«Not so good. Those vampires are a seriously mean bunch.» He muttered.

I laughed. «Tell me about it. It's just bunches of fun.» I replied sarcastically.

«So…what do you know about your uncle's gun?» He asked, seeming hesistant.

I shrugged. «Not a whole lot. It's a hell of a weapon. It can kill anything. Why, do you have it?» I asked, wondering how I would convince him to give it back to me.

«I don't. Dad does. Used it to kill a vamp a few days back. Then he took off. He's gonna use it to get the thing that killed my mother.» He said, matter-of-factly.

I groaned again. «Just hope his weaponry skills are better than his parenting skills; or you guys are seriously screwed.» I mumbled.

«Hey. You don't know what he's been through.» Dean defended.

«You think his story is any different than any other hunter's? Life sucks, we all have to deal with it Dean. Some of us just deal with it better than others. Demons have killed people we care about; it's a typical life story for any of us. We don't all go treat everyone else in our lives like crap though. Gotta be stronger than the misery, man.» I lectured; remembering when Uncle Dan had given it to me the day after I moved in with him.

He didn't speak for a few moments, and I thought he might hang up on me. «What are you, ten? How'd you get such a complex?» He mocked.

I laughed. «Comes with the territory. You'll know what I mean when you _really_ become a hunter.» I teased back.

«Real hunter my ass. So… what kind of a job are you on now? Sammy's been worried that you've run off and found trouble.» He said, and I heard someone mutter something indistinct in the background.

I tensed. I still didn't know how much to trust them. «My middle name, remember?» I reminded him, before turning serious. «I'm out west now. Hey, what do y'all know about _werewolves_?» I asked, regretting the words the minute they were out of my mouth.

«Werewolves? You mean you've run into more than one? Wow kid, you weren't kiddin' about trouble were you. How many are there?» He asked, suddenly business-like.

«Ten or so.» I said, giggling at his sharp intake of breath. «But they aren't hurting people. They actually seem pretty nice…» I said, remembering the boy on the bike earlier and wondering at the strange chill that ran up my spine.

«Nice? Have you lost your freaking mind?» He asked exasperatedly.

«Quite possibly. And trust me, it gets weirder.» I confided. «I think they're shape-shifters. And I really think they're well-meaning. I'm not quite sure what to make of them though. Any suggestions, _grandpa_?» I asked, turning the age joke around on him.

«Low-blow kid. My suggestion is that you get the hell out of there. _Ten_ werewolves? How do the townspeople not suspect anything?» He asked.

«You know townspeople. They're always completely oblivious. But the wolves aren't their only problem. They're protecting them against the bigger problem. I'm beginning to feel like my life is turning into a really bad episode of True Blood or something.» I complained.

Dean chuckled. «Me and Sam are between hunts. We can come check the place out. Sounds like too big a job for one person.»

I sighed. I really wished I could trust them. It would be nice to have other hunters here… I was really worried my prespective was getting skewed, everything was getting really personal, really fast.

«I think I have it under control for right now.» I lied. «But let me know if you guys get into a bind and need me to come save your asses.» I joked, struggling to return to a lighter tone.

«Right.» He scoffed. «Well thanks for that, oh hunting yoda.» He cracked back.

«Anytime. And Dean…?» I trailed off.

«Yeah?»

«Thanks.» I said quietly.

«For what?» He asked, sounding confused.

«For caring enough to check up on me.» I said, surprising myself at the catch in my throat. I was usually _not_ this emotional.

«Sure kid. We'll talk to you later.» He said, his voice softening too.

I smiled and hung up, rolling onto my side and tossing my phone on the nightstand next to the gun.

It felt good to have friends.

* * *

**so... whatdya'll think?**


	10. Chapter 10

**To any of my readers that are still around… I know it's been forever and a day (or three). My life got busy (life tends to do that… go figure!) Anyway, to those that have been with this story from the beginning, thanks for sticking out the inordinately long wait, newcomers—welcome to **_**Home isn't a Place, **_**and I can sincerely say that I will never again go that long on an unfinished story without an update. Enjoy the newest chapter! **

_**wwsadd**_

* * *

The Art of Lying

I had never really enjoyed school, and I only put up with the charade now because it was where Bella, Edward and Alice were nearly every day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. I was rethinking that decision, however, when there was a soft but persistent knock on the door of my sorry looking little motel room.

Mentally checking that I had at least one blade concealed somewhere on my person, I rolled off my bed and took the three steps to the door. Pulling it open warily, I sighed when I realized it was just Bella—I thought that since we had talked earlier she wouldn't have needed to drop by—unannounced. Hunters hate surprises, after all.

"B…Come on in…Everything cool?" I asked, moving aside so she could come in out of the rain. She shook her wet hair out of her face and kicked her shoes off before falling into the dingy armchair in the corner of the small room.

"I guess so. Are you busy right now?" She wondered, eyeing the books open across the massively-uncomfortable bed.

I shook my head vehemently and slammed both of the books closed. "Math and Science. Just two of the many reasons I hate high school." I drawled, folding my legs up underneath me and shoving the books off the side of the bed and onto the floor for good measure.

Bella giggled. "It _isn't_ that bad." She retorted. I glared.

"Maybe not… for someone whose future isn't decided already. I'm a hunter, I've been a hunter for as long as I can remember—practically—and I will be a hunter until the day that it gets me killed." I stated, not trying to be dramatic, just merely laying out the facts.

"That's depressing Evie, you could… I don't know, stop being a hunter someday and do something different… like be an author of _really_ realistic horror stories. Or teach folklore… or anything." She said, picking up Uncle Dan's journal from the rickety desktop and flipping aimlessly through the pages.

I studied her face as she glanced through the notes he'd made on vampires—on werewolves—on all the creatures and monsters and demons that he'd killed or incapacitated. "You know B… you could do anything you wanted to do too. You're a lot less stuck in this life than I am. This lifestyle, the responsibilities and dangers that come with it… it's in my blood… I was born and _raised_ to be this. You're right though. I could fake my death, maybe jump off a cliff or something and let the hunting world believe I'd died. I could go to college, or to San Francisco where my parents met and find a place to live a life about music and art instead of demons and death.

"But if I can do that… Imagine what you could do. You think that the Cullens and the wolves won't let you go if you want to leave? They all know that being human in their world isn't easy—isn't safe. And they want you to be safe, that's what all the fuss is about, remember?" I pointed out.

Her face was red, and her hands had stilled, Uncle Daniel's journal still open on her lap. I waited for what I had said to sink in. She had heard it—from Edward and probably from that Jacob character too. But I wanted to believe that hearing it from me held a different weight. I was human too, after all.

After a few moments that felt like an hour, she glanced up at me. "I'll quit it if you do." She said slyly, calling my bluff before I'd even realized that I'd been bluffing. For a moment I couldn't even formulate a reply.

With a frustrated laugh I let my head fall back against the wall. "Damn girl, you're kind of a tough cookie, aren't you?" I asked. She giggled.

"Well I _do_ run with vampires." She retorted. I snickered.

"Now that I'd like to see." I said jokingly. "So…was there something we failed to cover earlier on our little joyride, or did you just come over here to prove your mental instability to someone just as unbalanced?" I asked.

She turned the journal around so I could see the page on werewolves that she had been staring at for the better part of ten minutes. "Okay, first of all, whatever _this_ is—the La Push wolves are _not_ the same thing."

"No kidding. That's because they aren't actually werewolves. _That_ is a werewolf." I said, pointing to the picture sketched on the page. "Your furry friends are shape-shifters. Not inherently evil. Which is kind of a relief. Because damn if we don't have enough problems without…Something like _that_ running around the woods." I continued.

Bella smiled and flipped through some more pages. "So they aren't bad." She said simply, not as though the information surprised her, rather she sounded pleased that she had solid evidence of what she had already known.

"Not as far as I can tell. Don't hold your breath for a sudden change of heart from either side of this asinine little territory-war between them and the vamps though. Until you can get them to believe that Victoria's a big enough threat to require that they all work together, Edward and Jacob are going to—quite literally—be at each other's throats." I said.

"Oh, I have to do that do I? While you do what exactly? Practice long division?" She asked mockingly.

"They're both in love with _you_ sweetie. That makes it _your_ problem." I teased her back. Her eyes widened as the joke my words were supposed to be did not fully mask the truth in what I was really saying.

I hoped she wasn't going to start crying—I wasn't good with tears. "Jake isn't in love with me." She finally said, though I knew she could tell she wasn't all that convincing.

I sighed. Denial, big time. "B, it was pretty obvious today in the parking-lot. Mike and Tyler and Ben were taking bets on who was going to win the fist fight they were about to get into. Telling yourself it isn't true isn't going to help anyone around here. If you love Edward—_and don't love Jacob_—then you need to get that out in the open once and for all. If you aren't sure what the hell is going on in this mess of a situation, then you need to take the time to figure it out. Soon."

Surprisingly, she didn't argue with me. "I know. It wasn't supposed to get this messed up…I just…I need to talk to Jacob before this gets even more out of hand. He was…the only reason I was even able to function when the Cullens left. I can't turn my back on him. It wouldn't be fair. After everything that happened this weekend though… I don't know if I'll get the chance to even get to La Push. The Cullens are just…I know they want me to be safe, but me being in the middle of this fight doesn't really _feel_ safe." She said, her words a little jumbled but her thoughts quite easy to follow.

I considered all the options before presenting the best one. "Okay, you and I are going to Port Angeles tomorrow after school." I told her.

"What, uh why…?" She asked, obviously confused.

"Don't worry about it, alright? I've got it covered. And if my plan backfires, we'll move on to Plan B." I added with a grin. She gave me a wary glance.

"Plan B?"

"I detain your sparkly friends while you visit the petting zoo." I explained with snicker. She rolled her eyes.

"Are all hunters equipped with this special brand of humor, or is that just you?" She asked, setting Uncle Daniel's journal back down on the desk.

I laughed for real this time. "Oh you just wait. Some day I'll introduce you to the real crazies." I promised, walking her to the door and shooting her a sympathetic look as she glared out at the rain coming down in sheets.

"Oh, I can't wait." She quipped back, stepping out into the night with a wave. I waited until she'd made it into the truck and started the engine before closing the door and locking it tightly. I knew the next day was going to be long, tense, and possibly life-threatening.

But I also knew it was something that had to happen. These vampires and werewolves seriously needed to get over their aversion to each other before something far more big and bad got dragged into the picture.

John Winchester plagued my thoughts and my dreams that night.

* * *

The next day at school, I tried to act as normal as I could. I hadn't told Bella the real plan, because I knew Alice was 'watching' her every move and it would be incredibly inconvenient for a vision—or lack thereof—to put a wrench in our afternoon plans. I just hoped she wasn't watching my decisions quite as closely.

"So, Bella and I are going to go to Port Angeles after school for a few hours, there are some things I need and I thought maybe it'd be good for both of us to get out of Forks for a bit." I said to Alice on the way to art class.

She didn't seem suspicious. "That actually sounds like a good idea. I don't see Victoria, but that doesn't really mean she isn't around. And we were kind of hoping to get some hunting in soon…Edward hasn't gone in far too long."

I tried not to let my sigh of relief tip her off. "Great. Two birds, one stone." I muttered, sliding into my seat, as she fell gracefully into hers.

"I never understood that analogy." She said with a light laugh.

I thought about it for a minute. "You know what, now that you mention it, I don't really get it either." I replied with a laugh of my own.

* * *

I knew we were in the clear as Bella climbed in my truck and waved happily to Edward, who seemed no more anxious than Alice had about our afternoon plans. I felt a swell of pride that they trusted me so much… and also a small pinch of guilt in my stomach, for so thoroughly betraying that trust. But I had to listen my instincts… most of the time they weren't wrong, and I just knew that the wolves weren't going to hurt Bella.

As I drove down the highway, Bella turned to me seriously. "Okay Evie, where are we really going?"

I laughed. "I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count." I replied, taking the obscure turnoff that I was fairly certain led onto the Quileute reservation.

Bella's eyes lit up as she took in our surroundings. "Have I told you how absolutely brilliant you are?" She asked excitedly, causing me to laugh.

"Not exactly, but don't worry, I know I'm a genius." I retorted. "Now, where exactly am I going?" I asked, having no idea what to do now that we were actually _here_.

She directed me through various stops and turns, until we arrived at a quaint little house with flowers in the front garden and painted shudders. "This is where the werewolves live? I'm liking the irony." I said quietly. She snorted.

"Come on, I'll introduce you." She said, opening the passenger side door and jumping down. I tensed.

"Are you sure you don't want me to just go and come back and get you in a few hours…?" I asked.

She gave me a dirty look. "Uh, no. This was your idea… and I'm sure they all want to talk to you." She said, seeming completely puzzled by my hesitation. "Wait… don't tell me _you're_ afraid of _them_." She said, sounding thunderstruck.

I shrugged. "Not afraid… just… wary." I defended. She laughed, seeing right through my weak excuse.

"Get your butt out here Evie. You are a hunter. Own it. And anyway, they don't bite." She said with a smirk.

I flipped my middle finger up at her none-too-discreetly and threw my door open with a slight growl. I followed her to the front door of the house that looked like it could be featured in Better Homes and Garden and held my breath as she reached out and knocked firmly on the door.

Moments later a very pretty young Native American woman with some impressive scars down one side of her face opened the screen door wide and smiled happily. "Bella Swan! What a surprise! It's been a while… we've missed you around here. How have you been?" I stepped to the side as the woman pulled Bella into a one-armed hug.

"Hi Emily. I've been alright. This is my friend Evie. Evie, this is Emily, the werewolf girl." I offered my hand, and returned the warm smile that was turned my way.

"It's nice to meet you; you must be the girl from the forest last weekend, right? The boys have _not_ stopped talking about you." She said, opening the door and ushering us in. I wasn't sure what to say to that so I just nodded and tried not to laugh at the look Bella was giving me.

I let Bella and Emily lead me into the warm little house. I didn't know what I was expecting, but this was not it. It was like Washington had completely fallen off any discernible map. Monsters lived like humans and the humans that knew about it played right along. I wasn't sure how it was even possible.

We seemed to be following the sound of voices, and they got louder as we made it into a bright little kitchen. Conversation ceased as the five very large, half clothed boys noticed they were no longer the only ones in the small space.

The silence didn't last long however, as a couple of the boys started snickering and another jumped to his feet. "Hey guys, its Bella, back from the dead." He laughed, as another boy made a 'wooooo'ing sound like kids sometimes do on Halloween when they think they are imitating ghosts.

Bella grinned. I could tell the moment we walked in that she relaxed. Like all of the tension she carried around all the time just melted away. She knew she was safe here—sure—but she also knew she didn't have to be anything but herself, and I could tell how much she was appreciating that right now.

"Hey Quil, joining the party late, I see. Why don't you drop dead and then try coming back. It's not as easy as it looks." She joked back. The boy who had spoken gave her a teasingly wounded look.

"Ouch Bella, I'm hurt. _Not_." He grinned. It was then that my presence seemed to be realized by everyone at once. "You." The boy said, seeming as though he couldn't quite believe it.

After the playful banter and the laughter that had so fully permeated the whole of this little house, I couldn't help but feel comfortable too. "Me." I deadpanned. Bella smirked.

"Evie, this is Quil, Embry, Jared, Paul, and Sam." She said, pointing out each out as she said their names. "Everyone, this is Evie Halloway, I don't think you were properly introduced last weekend, what with Victoria being her typical charming self. Anyway, Evie's just moved here from Colorado. She's a… uh… an…" She seemed at a loss for words. I laughed. When it came right down to it, telling the supernatural beings of the world that there's a hunter in their midst is never the easiest thing to do.

"I'm a vampire hunter. So I guess that's something we all have in common, huh?" I said lightly, hoping that my emphasis on vampire would keep all hell from breaking loose.

They all looked shell-shocked for a moment before four of them began roaring in laughter. The walls were literally shaking from the amount of noise they were making. The seemingly most mature of them had risen quickly to his feet and made his way—gracefully no less—to where we were standing. He raised a hand sharply toward his pack and they quieted quickly.

Holding the other hand out toward me it took a minute for me to understand what it was he was doing. Placing my laughably small hand in his gigantic one, I shook it once before letting go. "I am Sam Uley. And you are welcome here any time." He said, and there wasn't a single teasing line on his face.

I nodded once, and was about to reply, when one of the other boys—I had already lost track of which one was which—spoke up. "Sam, you can _not_ be serious. Look at her. There's no way _she_ hunts vampires."

"Paul, can it." The man in front of me—obviously in charge—growled. "Excuse him, he's lacking in some ways that really _do_ matter."

Shrugging, I offered a laugh and a wink to the still-furious boy at the table. "It's cool. Any time he wants to challenge my skills I'm up for it." I told him. He smirked at that.

"Any time, any place." He said, stretching his huge arms out in front of him, his giant biceps flexing impressively. I rolled my eyes and snickered. Show off.

"So… are you here to take out the Cullens? Because that idiot treaty doesn't let _us_ anywhere near them, so that would be fantastic." The one that had spoken first—Quil—said, a smile still on his face. Bella made an angry noise and a rude hand gesture at him. He rolled his eyes.

I sighed exaggeratedly. "Sadly, no. I don't kill good vampires. Sorry, but you'll have to figure that mess out all by yourself." I said, giving Bella a pointed look. Turning back to the pack of wolf-boys, I continued. "I can, however, help you with the other vampire. The one I would have _had_ the other night if you all hadn't started fighting over that damn line." I remarked, ignoring the matching disbelieving looks on their faces.

Sam shook his head. "We will not let them onto our land. It is non-negotiable. End of story." He said shortly. Emily shifted from behind us and into the kitchen, where she started to fiddle around with something on the stove. Bella moved to help her.

That left Sam and I standing in the middle of the kitchen while the four boys still seated at the table watched our discussion with focus I would not have believed them capable of moments before. "I understand your concern. I was raised to salt n' burn then ask questions later—but we all have to be able to work together if we want to get this crazy vendetta-obsessed chick. Otherwise she's just going to play you all for everything you're worth and innocent people are going to get caught in the crossfire. I know you don't want that." I replied.

"I cannot let them near the tribe. It is out of the question. What would you have me do, trust those bloodsuckers just because they claim to be different?" He asked, a challenge in his words but a glimmer of hope in his voice. I could tell he wanted this dealt with as quickly as the Cullens—more irony. It was going to kill me soon, I could feel it.

"No." I said, and I could hear Bella's sharp intake of breath. The boys at the table seemed confused, Sam looked dubious. "I would have you work with me. I have as natural an aversion to vampires as you do, trust me. We can be friends Sam, you and I. Allies even. I have an understanding with the Cullens, and you do not have to trust them. But work with me, trust _me_. I won't lead your pack or your people into danger." I said, surprising myself at the sincerity in my words. I was _seriously_ going soft. Soon I was going to start treating all monsters like people.

Sam seemed to deliberate for a moment. He eyed me critically, his dark gaze holding mine for minutes that dragged on and on. Finally he sighed. "Alright. Evie Halloway, let's give this a go."

I let out the breath I had been holding. Things were about to get _really_ interesting. I didn't know quite how right I was about that until half a minute later when another voice sounded from behind us.

"Does someone want to tell me what's going on here?" I turned so fast I nearly tripped. Before I knew it Bella had skipped past me and thrown her arms around the boy in the doorway. "Hey Jake, can we talk? Somewhere… else?" She asked, taking a very small step back.

"Sure. Let's go." He said, taking her hand and leading her away, but not before giving me the deadliest glare I had ever seen. My feet felt frozen to the floor, my knees as though they were going to give out, and my stomach dropped. Since I had moved in with Uncle Dan years before I had never truly been afraid—of anything—until that very moment.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello lovely readers! I'm getting back into the swing of this updating thing! I know this chapter is a little filler-y, but I swear it's important! **

**More to come soon... leave your thoughts!**

_**~wwsadd  
**_

* * *

An Inheritance

It was the sixth time my phone had rang in less than five minutes. I knew without looking at the caller ID that it was either Alice or Edward, _again_. We had only been on the reservation for a few hours, but apparently that was enough time for a major meltdown back in town.

I was about to ask Sam where best to look for Bella, when she came breezing back through the door. "Hey Evie, when will you be ready to leave?" She asked quickly, staring determinedly away from Sam. Strange.

Shrugging, I hopped off the counter where I had been sitting and grabbed my keys. "Now, if you'd like. Your overbearing vampire friends are getting on my nerves." I told her, waving me phone in her face to show her the number flashing across the screen for the umpteenth time.

"Ooooh crap. We're in trouble." She mumbled. I rolled my eyes.

"We? Seriously B, if anyone's going to be in trouble, it's me. I'll handle it." I stated, turning back to my new friend.

He leveled a concerned gaze at me. "If your being here is going to put you in danger when you return, I suggest you remain on our lands. They are not welcome here and you will be safe." He told me, his calm demeanor had remained unchanged for the better part of our hours-long conversation.

I laughed. "It's cool Sam. I know you haven't seen me in action yet, but I'm fairly good at this gig. I can handle myself." I replied, holding my hand out to him. He shook it warmly and graced me with a smile.

"So I will see you tomorrow then." He said, as way of goodbye. I nodded and pulled Bella toward the door.

"Tomorrow? What does he mean, tomorrow? There's no way they're letting us come back here again." She muttered under her breath. I laughed, yanking the door to my truck open and climbing in.

"Please, Bella. There's no way they're letting _you_ come back here again. I'd really like to see them try to stop _me_." I said, still snickering as I put us back on the highway and headed for Forks.

"Well yippie for you." She snapped, glaring out the window. I threw her a withering look.

"Oh what now? I got you to the reservation, I got Sam to at least consider that the Cullens aren't the threat he's been so convinced they are… and we both know I'll take most of the heat for today's little adventure. What could you possibly have to be upset about?" I asked, my patience wearing thin. I wasn't good at this whole girly-friendship thing. Friends were a liability that I usually managed to avoid. I thought I had been doing fairly well with Bella. Until now, anyway.

I was horrified as tears began to run down her face. "Whoa, rewind. What happened?" I asked, concern lacing my thoughts and my voice.

She was still staring out the window, looking for all the world like she would just like to tell the universe to fuck off. A sentiment I understood well. "Nevermind, okay? We never should have come here. I was crazy to think that Jake and I could work anything out." She mumbled swiping her fists across her cheeks.

Confusion marred my ability to form anything akin to a comforting reply. Since I had met her she had been longing for the chance to get everything out in the open with that tool of a werewolf. "Wait a sec. B, what did he _say_?"

She finally turned toward me, and I could see the hurt reflected deep in her red-rimmed eyes. She took a deep breath before speaking. "He said he would rather I really be dead than be a vampire." She said, her voice shaky.

My confusion quickly transformed into disbelief. I had to physically bite down on my bottom lip to keep my retort silenced. "Uh… Bella… you can't…I mean, that…that surprises you?" I asked, throwing a worried look in my rearview mirror where a silver Volvo had appeared out of nowhere.

She gasped. "You're on his side?" She asked, tears welling in her eyes again. I tried to keep myself calm. I didn't need to get her more worked up than she already was. Edward was going to be a monster to deal with—pun totally intended—without letting his girlfriend go completely off the deep end. But the way that guy had glared at me in Sam's kitchen earlier was still fresh in my mind.

"On _his_ side? Look Bella, don't expect me to buddy up to Jacob any more than I intend to become besties with Edward. They're your problem, remember? I'm just trying to keep the hunters the hell away from this place, and every day that seems to be like a more impossible task. Especially with whatever the hell is going on in Seattle. So I can't really worry about this twisted little love triangle, okay? They can both go screw themselves as far as I'm concerned—and trust me—you'd be better off if they did.

"All I'm saying is that it makes sense for him to view vampirism as worse than death. Nearly every person I know would see it the same way. Because you're _asking_ for a fate worse than death. And I know you don't see it that way. But once you've done this… there's no going back. No 'undo' button. It'll be done, and done forever. You're eighteen, are you absolutely sure that you want to remain frozen in a half-existence hazed with bloodlust for an eternity? How can you know _that_?" I asked, taking the turn that would lead us to the Cullens' house.

I could feel her heated glare, but I kept my eyes on the road. "Who are you to talk Evie? You're what, sixteen years old? Your uncle dies; the only person keeping you rooted in this world of monsters and madness, and instead of bailing you decide to dive further into it. It was _you_ that spent the afternoon making friends with a werewolf, remember? So what if no one understands my life choices? Most people I know would see your decisions as certifiable." She replied angrily.

I slammed on the brakes and threw the truck in park in the middle of the deserted road. I'm sure my expression matched hers as I shifted in my seat so I was facing her. "First off, don't you _dare_ bring my uncle into this, he was the _only _family I had, and vampires _killed _him. How do you still not get that? You have two parents that love you, and are happy and safe and just want you to be happy and safe too. Do you know what I would give for the choices and chances you have? What _any of them_ would give? You want to throw it away? That's your decision, but don't expect me to sit around and watch it happen. I'm here to keep Daniel Elkins' promise to Carlisle Cullen, and that's it. Once I'm sure that the hunting community is going to leave well enough alone, I'm out of here." I snapped.

She didn't quite seem to know what to say to that. The anger melted off her face, as she perhaps—finally—realized exactly why I had such a hatred of vampires. Why Sam Uley and I had so much in common. Why I would take their _side_.

She was saved the awkward half-apology, however, when a sharp rap on the passenger-side window made us both jump. Cursing quietly, she rolled the window down enough that the glass barrier between us and Edward's murderous glare was removed. "Bella, go get in my car. Now." There was no trace of anything even akin to amusement in his features or his tone. It was clearly not up for debate. The tension that had been so quickly alleviated in Sam and Emily's kitchen was redoubled as she slid out of the truck and tripped back to the Volvo, parked mere feet behind my pickup.

"You—" He started, his dark eyes like daggers. I threw my hands up in the air dramatically.

"Don't start with me Edward. First of all, you don't scare me; stop trying, it's embarrassing. Second of all, I realize I betrayed your trust this afternoon, but if you really trusted me you wouldn't be freaking out like this, because you would know that I'd never purposely put a human in danger. That's not how hunters operate. Everything's fine; and you need to chill the fuck out. I don't really have a third of all, but if I did, it would be that we have bigger problems than your ego, so _back off_." I replied.

He couldn't quite contain his shock at my words. "What kind of bigger problems?" He finally managed to ask.

* * *

I was struck at the almost-comical difference in atmosphere, as we sat in the Cullens' living room. The wolves had exuded warmth and vitality; here we were surrounded by the cool, refined indifference of immortals. I tried to hold on to my patience, but I had spent most of my day either planning or executing a fairly-successful infil-exfil plan. I was tiring of playing nice with the non-humans.

"You can't be sure it's Victoria." My least favorite of my new friends was on seriously thin ice.

Everyone seemed calm…ish. None of them had made as big a deal as Edward about our little outing. Obviously the rest of them had the presence of mind to realize that the wolves weren't the threat of the day. Speaking of Edward and Bella, they had disappeared almost as soon as we arrived at the Cullen property. I had no idea where they were, but I was officially _off_ babysitting duty.

Sighing, I shifted so my feet were pulled up under me on the giant designer sofa. I was cold, all of a sudden. "Yes, I can be. Fairly sure anyway. I spent a good two hours talking to Sam about the wolves' encounters with her. There's no way she's working alone. If she was just planning on killing Bella, she could have done that—easily—before you guys even showed back up. The wolves' defenses were good, but not perfect. She had to have been counting on this. That y'all would come back and then she could _really_ get revenge.

I think she's going old school with this. Like_ old school_, old school." I said, leveling a purposeful look at Jasper.

He seemed to be thinking it over in his mind. Emmett fidgeted, leaning against the back of the sofa. He was by far the least-patient immortal I had ever come across. "I don't get what we're waiting for." He finally said, leaping lightly over the edge of the sofa and landing next to me. I laughed.

"Well you don't want to rush into this, if it is what I think it is." I told him.

"And what exactly is it that you think it is?" Rosalie asked, as disinterested as she always seemed to be. Of all the Cullens, I was fairly certain she was my favorite. Other than her diet, she was the only one that didn't completely confuse me. Rosalie Hale was the kind of vampire I understood.

"A vampire army." Jasper said grimly, his southern accent thickening. I didn't know how much he knew about the wars of the south, but judging from what I did know about him—approximately when he was turned and how unmistakably southern he sometimes acted and sounded—I figured he had to be familiar with the legend, at the very least.

"Not even Victoria would flirt with danger like that. The Volturi don't stand for that kind of thing anymore." Edward sauntered back in, falling into the plush armchair and pulling Bella down onto his lap. He seemed better-tempered, thankfully.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. What else could possibly be going on in Seattle? I have eyes and ears out, and there's nothing else freaky going on in the area, so I don't see how that's not what's up here." I said. "There's no way that there just happens to be a bunch of new, unruly vampires wreaking havoc in the closest city to Forks, at the same time that Victoria's little vendetta is coming to a head. Coincidences like that don't just happen." I stressed.

Jasper shifted on his feet, as though he was about to start pacing. He was older and calmer than Emmett though, and held his ground. "It's possible, I suppose. If it is an army, and Victoria's created it, we have a whole new set of problems." He said grimly.

I shot Edward a look. "Told you so." He did not dignify my childish comment with a response, but the corner of his mouth quirked up almost imperceptibly.

* * *

I couldn't sleep. And not just because I was having a sleepover at the local vampire crypt. There was so much going on that my brain wasn't processing it all very quickly or efficiently. I wandered out onto the large, open porch and hopped up onto the smooth oak railing.

The forest seemed peaceful from here, and my eyes couldn't decipher anything out of the ordinary in the dark shadows between the trees. I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone spoke from behind me. Damn vampires really needed to wear bells around their necks or I was going to have a heart attack one of these days.

"Looking for something?" The southern lilt in the words piqued my curiosity. Earlier we had all been focused on the present problem; but now, there was time to wonder about Jasper.

"Uh, yeah. Normalcy. I don't think I'm going to find it though." I said, answering his question in as light a manner as possible.

He chuckled quietly, leaning against the railing next to me. It worried me a bit that I didn't even tense up. I was losing my edge, seriously. "Well you won't find it in _that_ forest, that's for sure." He replied.

We lapsed into a silence that was weirdly _not_ uncomfortable. I had all but convinced myself that we would never get along, so I was more than a little confused. He shot me a quick smile. "I'm confused too. I don't want to like you either." He said, his perplexity visible in his expression.

I laughed, swinging my legs back and forth and feeling a little like a child. "So this magical pendant of privacy doesn't protect me from your power, I see." I retorted, touching the circular piece of metal at my throat. His smile widened.

"Well it does to an extent. I can read your emotions, but not influence them." He told me, matter-of-factly. I quirked an eyebrow at him. "If I could, you'd have been long gone from here by now." He explained.

I shot him a mocking glare. "If you want me to leave, there's actually a better way to approach it. Tell me to get the hell out, and I will. I can run hunter-interference for you guys from Colorado or Nebraska." I pointed out.

He straightened, no longer leaning next to me. "Alright. Get the hell out."

I hopped down and landed lightly on my feet. "Done." I said shortly, making for the steps that would lead down to the lawn.

He let me get to the stone path that led around the side of the house before appearing in front of me. Damn he was fast. "What, don't tell me you've changed your mind already?" I asked, my voice thick with sarcasm.

He shook his sandy hair out of his eyes—or maybe he was answering my question in the negative. Either way, he didn't seem to feel the need to voice a reason for his odd behavior. We stood—neither of us moving—for at least ten minutes. He didn't even blink. Having a fair amount of experience with vampires, I knew it was impossible for me to out-wait him, so I finally folded my arms over my chest and cleared my throat. "What exactly is it that you know about the old wars of the south?" I asked, when it was clear that he had no intention of telling me what the hell he was doing.

He gave me a hard look, but I stood my ground. He wasn't the most terrifying vampire I'd ever encountered—although admittedly he ranked quite high up there. "I enlisted to fight for the Confederacy when I was hardly older than you are now. In Texas they didn't care about your age, just your ability to shoot and actually hit a target. I was… quite well-liked and rose quickly through the ranks. The Civil War…it was a bloodbath. Quite literally. Perhaps it's not surprising that vampires seemed to come out of the woodwork. Amid all the destruction and death, they went almost unnoticed—as did their victims." There was an edge to his voice that sent a small thrill of terror down my spine.

"Her name was Maria, the vampire that turned me. She had me so indoctrinated that I was doing her dirty work without question. Together we created one of the greatest vampire armies the south had ever seen." He continued. I felt my jaw drop a little. I quickly clamped my teeth together. I had been told stories of the vampire wars of the south for as long as I could remember, but they had always seemed like an intangible, obscure metaphor for something else. I couldn't quite wrap my head around there being any honest _reality_ in them.

"My ability to feel the emotions of those around me caused me to reassess my choices, eventually. But my understanding of vampire armies is quite thorough, I assure you." He stated, rolling up his shirt-sleeves. The moonlight glinted off the scars that littered his arms. "I trained—and destroyed—many newborns in my day." He said, as way of explanation.

It took me a few minutes to process what I was being told. "Hell of a story." I said distractedly, still trying to get my brain to function properly. He laughed darkly.

"Your turn." I pulled myself out of my muddled thoughts to give him a confused glare.

"What do you mean, _my turn_?" I asked patronizingly. The glare he returned was definitely more impressive than mine.

"Few know anything of those wars, let alone would be able to put together the pieces to realize that that's what's going on in Seattle. How did you figure it out?" He asked, his glare only lessening slightly.

I thought for a moment. They were the scariest stories Uncle Daniel ever told me; but it was more than that. No other hunter I had ever met had any real information on the southern wars. It was part of the reason that I had always thought that there was a fictional aspect to them—like Uncle Dan had been trying to instill a certain kind of fear in me—that there was no way they were true.

Finally it all clicked together in my head. I started laughing. Jasper looked at me like I might have officially lost it. I tried to calm myself down enough to explain. "_Everything_ makes sense now."

"Do tell." He prodded. I could tell it was annoying him that I couldn't just spit it out.

Still snickering, I shrugged. "I know because _you_ do." I said simply. His blond eyebrows rose in surprise. I hurried to explain. "My uncle was the ultimate authority on vampires for forty years. If anyone had a vampire problem, Daniel Elkins was the first on their go-to list. He knew more than any human should about vampire lore—vampire _history_. Why do you think that is?" I asked, giving him a meaningful look.

It didn't take him as long to put together has it had taken me. "Carlisle." He said, understanding dawning on his face.

"Remember what Carlisle said about the night he met my uncle? They sat for hours talking about the 'world of the supernatural'. I'm almost certain that's where he learned everything he ever taught me. Including the stories about the vampire wars of the south." I stated, the shock still running like adrenaline through my system.

Jasper seemed to be almost as thrown. "Well that's ironic." He finally retorted. I broke down into giggles again.

"Welcome to my _life_."

* * *

I poured my third cup of coffee since the sun had come up an hour earlier. Jasper was leaning against the counter across from me, smirking at my stifled yawning. "You know, some of us normal people need this little thing called sleep." I grumbled. He chuckled.

"You? Normal? Keep dreaming." He retorted. I made a rude hand gesture and turned as quickly as my foggy mind would let me when I heard someone come into the spacious kitchen. Bella was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and giving the mug of coffee in my hands an envious look. I moved to the cupboard where the matching mugs were kept, and deftly poured her a cup. Pressing it into her hands, I went back to my perch on the counter.

"How long have you been up?" She asked sleepily. I rolled my eyes.

"Way, way too long. We have a plan though; so it was probably worth it." I stated, gesturing between Jasper and myself. Alice danced into the kitchen, followed very closely by Edward, who slipped his arms around Bella and grinned at our matching mugs of liquid caffeine.

"Tired, ladies?" He asked. Bella elbowed him and then winced. I rolled my eyes.

"I've been waiting since basically the day I met you to tell you this, but you really need to stop doing that. I suggest using a tire-iron instead of your elbow." I told her, causing all three of the vampires in the room to laugh. Bella shot me a dirty look.

"Whatever Evie." Was the best reply she could apparently come up with.

Alice hopped lithely up on the countertop next to me and looked between Jasper and I conspiratorially. "Did I hear something about a plan? I can't see it, so I can assume that we're going to have some help… of the canine variety." She said, asking a question without actually asking a question. I was quickly learning that was just her style.

At Alice's mention of the wolves, Bella dropped her cup of coffee, sending the steaming liquid all over _everything_. Edward caught the mug before it hit the tile, but a quiet, pained hiss alerted us all to the fact that most of the scalding coffee had gone all over Bella's hands.

Edward said something under his breath that I didn't catch, but Bella's face turned nearly as red as the burns developing on her hands. Whatever it was, she brushed it off and turned back to us. "No. Absolutely not. You are not going to use the wolves to take out a vampire _army_." She said, panic apparent in her voice.

"No one's _using_ anyone. Why do you think so many of the Quileute boys have turned? Usually it's just two or three; according to Sam. Even with you lot here, as you have been sporadically over the years, three is the most wolves a pack has ever had at a time. This threat in Seattle is affecting them too. There are _eight_ wolves in La Push at the moment. Sam wants this dealt with before any more of the tribe is affected. And their numbers would help us—judging from the damage being reported in the city, there are dozens of new vampires there. This could turn into a catastrophe if we aren't careful." I explained to the room at large, as Edward pulled Bella over to the pristine sink and began running cool water over her bright red fingers.

She turned to me, looking somewhat thunderstruck. "What do you mean, _eight_?"

I nearly dropped my own mug of coffee. "You're joking, right? Jacob just conveniently forgot to mention that Quil wasn't the newest member of their pack?" I asked sharply. What the hell was that kid playing at?

Her face reddened again. "No…it never came up." She mumbled, returning her focus to her injured hands.

I shook my head in exasperation. "Whatever. Look, I need to get going back down to the reservation. I'll talk out the details of a treaty-re-work with Sam, and I'll let you know what we come up with." I told them, hopping down from the counter.

"Get them to meet us on our side of the line just after midnight, and we'll work strategies from there." Jasper reminded me. I nodded, ignoring the disapproving looks I was getting from both Bella and Edward.

Before I could make a quick exit, Carlisle and Esme glided into the kitchen. I stopped long enough to give Carlisle an extra-appreciative smile. He smiled back, his attractive face lighting up, though I could see a hint of confusion in his golden eyes. "Good morning Evelyn, Bella—let me take a look." He said, turning to the more accident-prone of his two human guests. I threw Jasper a look and he nodded almost imperceptibly. He would explain to the rest of them about the strange Circle-of-Life-esque nature of our newly-strengthened alliance.

Tossing my bag into the truck and then climbing into the driver's seat, I turned the key with one hand and stifled another yawn with the other. It was going to be a long day, that was for sure.

As I drove down the highway, I marveled at the way that my destiny seemed to be interwoven with the Cullen family's. They were vampires, yes. But they were also the reason Uncle Daniel was … well, _the_ Daniel Elkins. Carlisle had given him everything he'd needed to protect himself against the creatures of the night—everything he'd needed to teach me to do the same. I finally understood why he had been so defensive about them years before. He owed them, big time.

I laughed. Good vampires. I was finally starting to believe it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter… things start to get interesting now… well, I think so anyway. But read on and decide for yourself! Reviews are love! **

**On that note: thank you to **_**Kaoz**_** for reviewing the last couple chapters…you may have a spidey-sense about where this story is going ;) I hope that doesn't stop you from reading it! **

**Anyway, it's nice to hear from readers, especially for a story that has been so-long neglected that readership is by no means guaranteed. I really do appreciate it! **

_**~wwsadd**_

* * *

_Chapter 12: If You Have More Than One Near-Death Experience Per Hour, You're Doing it Wrong_

It occurred to me, as I was once again knocking on Sam Uley's front door, that I should write a book. _How _Not_ to be a Hunter 101_. Chapter 5 would be all about the negative effects of sleep deprivation and how difficult it is to do recon and negotiations running purely on Starbucks' Breakfast Blend.

The screen door swung open, and I was faced with Emily's warm smile. "Hi Evie. The boys are out back. You can come on through the house." She said, stepping aside so I could slip past her into the cozy little home. I followed her silently back toward the kitchen.

"Sam and I were talking last night, and he said you were staying at the motel in Forks? That can't be comfortable… I know we don't know each other well yet, but feel free to stay with us if you'd like." She said, pressing an apple into my hand and fixing her kind brown eyes on my face. Her words caused my throat to constrict. I wasn't used to being accepted so fully as I was between the Cullens and the wolves; I had found more kindness here than I had ever been met with before. The realization confused me more than it helped me make any clear distinctions out of this mess.

I managed a nod. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." I said, hoping I sounded as grateful for her thoughtfulness as I was.

She smiled and gestured through the back door. I offered her a small wave and then made my way out into the fresh ocean-tinged air. I could hear the wolves before I could see them. The same five boys…men? Whatever they were, from the previous afternoon were having what seemed to be a supernatural wrestling competition. A kid that looked like he couldn't be more than 14 years old was cheering and laughing as the one I remembered to be Quil, knocked the rude one—Paul?—to the ground and pounced on him.

I stopped moving forward when I got to the boy's side, figuring he was about as close as was safe. He turned to me with an easy smile. "Hi. You must be Evie. I'm Seth. Seth Clearwater. Sam told us all about you. You're a vampire hunter, right? That is _so_ cool. I can't _wait_ to start hunting vampires." He said, seeming to nearly be bouncing up and down in excitement or anticipation…or something. I felt a grin split across my face involuntarily. He was a character, that was for sure.

"It's nice to meet you too, Seth. So is this how y'all relieve stress? Because I can think of better ways." I retorted, as Quil threw a fist at Paul's face. I had not meant for my words to carry the innuendo that—only after they were out of my mouth—I realized they held. I was, after all, talking to a teenage testosterone-fueled wolf-boy.

His eyes widened for a minute before he started to howl; yes howl, in laughter. His laugh was infectious, and soon I was doubled over with giggles too. Giggling. Me. The world really was ending. Soon we were both on the grass, the hysteria in the air nearly tangible.

I tried to catch my breath, realizing that the vicious cycle of laughing at each other and then ourselves wasn't going to stop until one of us could consciously decide the joke wasn't funny anymore. The shadow suddenly cast over where we were sitting helped sober me up a bit. "Oh. Hi there Sam. How goes it?" I managed to bite out, mentally coaching my breathing and heart rate back to normal.

The massive Native American towered over us, a scowl on his face but humor in his eyes. "Evie, can you try not corrupting the children so early in the day? There will be plenty of time for that later, I assure you." I gave half a shrug. I could all but feel the glower Seth was giving him from next to me.

"You're the boss-man." I said, clambering to my feet and grinning down at my new friend. Offering him my hand, I hauled the boy to his feet as well and looked to Sam expectantly. He gestured toward the thick trees that seemed to be commonplace just about everywhere in this part of the country and I nodded. "Corrupt ya later Seth!" I called, throwing a wave at the rest of the wolf-boys and following Sam toward the forest.

When we were a mile or so into the giant pines, my hiking companion slowed. A moment later we were out of the tree line and abruptly on the rocky edge of the cliffs that edged the Pacific Ocean. Plopping down on the dirt and letting his legs dangle over the open air, he patted the ground next to him.

Following suit I fell to the damp earth and swung my legs over the impressive drop. The water roiled below us angrily, and I suddenly remembered the story of Bella's little cliff-diving escapade. I snickered at the thought. Sam smirked, somehow guessing at my thoughts. "It wasn't her brightest idea. It wouldn't be yours, either." He warned.

I fixed him with a playful glare. "What, the big bad wolf wouldn't jump in after me?" I asked, leaning toward him to nudge him with my shoulder. He let out a bark of laughter. It struck me how very… dog-like their reactions seemed to be. It was equal parts amusing and confusing.

"Oh Evie. I'm not the big bad wolf you need to worry about." He said.

I could tell the words had been in jest, but as quickly as the easy companionship had settled over us, it evaporated. I understood all too clearly that it was fine and dandy for Sam and I to be friends, but it didn't mean shit if the rest of his pack wasn't on board. As he had previously explained to me he could _make_ them work with me, but we both knew without saying it that that wasn't in anyone's best interest.

"Yeah…so…how many of them am I going to have to suck up to before they're on board?" I asked, trying hard to keep my words light.

Sam's half-smile warned me that I wasn't fooling him. "It's complicated. They—mostly—really like you. It showed some serious nerve to chase that red haired bloodsucker off all by yourself. And then acting like two supernatural entities fighting over a territorial line was no big deal? You're a certified badass in their eyes, no sucking up needed. But at the same time… they know that things that seem too good to be true usually are. It's been rough, with so many of us—this was never supposed to happen. Before, when the werewolf gene was triggered there would be maybe two or three of us. Two or three can work together, under the radar, in a semi-autonomous fashion. With eight of us though…there are more variables than we ever anticipated. And then there's the obvious." He said, voice hardening. There was a note of something akin to parental disappointment in his tone.

I could feel my face heat up as I realized what he was talking about. "Oh. You mean Bella's loyal best friend that has decided to hate me? Now why ever would _that_ be a problem?" I asked, the sarcasm burning my words like fire burns paper.

Sam didn't seem to know how to answer my rhetorical question. He sat, staring out at the water as seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours. I sat silently, leaning back on my hands and breathing in the fresh air. "It's not that simple, Evie." He finally said, not turning his gaze away from the ocean.

I shrugged, and countered his words. "It's also not that complicated, Sam. I'm here to help, not to make waves. I just want to get Victoria, clean up this vampire-army mess in Seattle, and be on my way. Jacob Black just has to deal with whatever problem he has with me for a little while—I'm talking a week or two. A month, tops. And then he never has to see me again." I replied. The words burned my throat on the way out. I hadn't realized how much I disliked the thought of leaving. One more complication to add to my growing list. _Chapter 8—Don't make friends with freaks of nature, no matter how friendly they seem. _

Sam Uley growled something inaudible under his breath. I didn't ask him to repeat it. He didn't offer. Suddenly he whipped his face around to stare wide-eyed at me. "What do you mean, vampire _army_?" He asked, seriousness in every line on his young face.

I felt a strange relief, to finally be back on a less-personal topic. Business I could handle. "Oh yeah; that. So…Victoria is putting together a vampire army. We think there are about two dozen new vampires in Seattle. Somehow, we aren't quite sure of the specifics, they are answering to her. She wants to kill Bella, and probably do away with the whole Cullen coven while she's at it. We're looking at a full-scale vampire battle in _Forks_." I said grimly.

Sam's body began to shake next to mine. I had no idea what was happening, but my formerly-dormant hunting instincts woke suddenly and began screaming warnings at me. I tried to scramble to my feet, hoping the fact that Sam seemed to be trembling less than six inches from me didn't mean what I thought it meant. But before I could do anything…Before I could even really process what was happening I felt myself flying through the air, and then dropping like a rock toward the violently crashing waves below.

My mind was overtaken with terror—something that never happened to me—as my thoughts were consumed with images of the damage that the impact on my body of the rough water was going to do. I was so horrified that it took me nearly a whole thirty seconds to realize that I hadn't gone over the edge alone. Strong, warm arms had twined around my body. Just before I hit the waves I felt myself being yanked around, and the impact I had been dreading never happened.

The cold water enveloped me—us—but the sheer force I feared had been all but completely absorbed by the one that had _pushed_ me off the cliff. As this realization struck me, I began to struggle against the arms that held me. I was _not_ drowning to death. That was way too anticlimactic for the life I had led.

My efforts were wasted, however, because Sam—it had to have been Sam—seemed to be about a million and ten times stronger than me. To top it all off, the water was suffocating, and so, so cold. Panic set in as I tried and failed to see through the murky darkness. The combination of the undertow and the ferocity with which the waves were tossing around above us caused the reality of the situation to hit me like lightening.

My tombstone was going to read:

_Evie Halloway_

_ 1996-2012_

_ She was a__ terrible swimmer._

As the panic began to fade into acceptance, I squeezed my eyes closed and allowed the heavy, freezing darkness to consume me.

* * *

The first thoughts my semi-conscious mind could form were that—wherever I was—it was too comfortable to be hell, and nowhere near comfortable enough to be heaven. _Great_—limbo; my freaking dream come true.

As I regained awareness, the noise that seemed muffled before was suddenly loud…_too_ loud.

It was another few minutes before I could decipher what the din of deep voices was about.

"_Well that was smooth dude, really smooth."_

"_**What do we do? Call the Cullens? They're gonna to be pissed."**_

"**It's none of their damn business, they don't own her."**

"_Yeah man, she's not Bella." _

"_**Oh, and Bella's gonna be pissed too."**_

"**Everyone knock it the hell off. She'll be fine."**

"_And if she's… not?"_

"**I don't know."**

It took all the energy I had left to force my eyes open. A moment later I knew three things. First, that I was on a sofa of some sort. My guess was that I was somewhere in Sam and Emily's house. Second, that it hadn't been too long since I'd blacked out, if my still-soaking-wet cargos and tank top were any indication. And third, the four arguing werewolves in the room had no idea that I was awake.

Upon closer inspection it seemed that only three of them were arguing. Sam seemed distraught. Paul looked angry. The one I thought was named Jared seemed exasperated.

But Seth just watched them all silently from where he was sitting on the arm of the sofa, looking for the most part to be unperturbed. He was the first to notice that I had returned to the land of the waking.

Instead of saying anything to the room as a whole, he stood and shuffled a foot to the side before dropping down on the cushion next to me. I pulled my feet out of the way right before he landed. I hadn't realized I was shivering. I was too preoccupied with everything that had happened, that was still happening, to be bothered with the unimportant. Seth noticed though.

Without a word he wrapped a dark, warm hand around my slightly shaking wrist and pulled me into the circle of his arm. The immediate heat was so welcome that I forgot about all the craziness for a moment and curled myself into his embrace. I pressed my face into his bare chest and curled my freezing fingers into his arm. If it was causing him any discomfort he wasn't complaining.

After another minute of watching the members of his pack bicker, Seth cleared his throat. They quieted and turned toward us. I was alert enough to recognize the relief that flooded into Sam's features. He opened his mouth—I figured to apologize for whatever the _hell_ had happened on the cliff—but I waved away his words before he had the chance to utter them.

"No harm, no foul man. You didn't have to push me off the damn cliff though." I joked. Everything after the initial feeling of free-falling through the air was somewhat hazy.

Four sets of very intense eyes were suddenly fixed intently on my face. Sam's stare seemed exceptionally concerned. "Evie… what do you remember?"

I shrugged, and snuggled closer to the amazing amount of heat Seth Clearwater was giving off. "Not a lot. I told you about—uh—the vampire army—and you—you looked like you were about to have a full on spaz-attack. And I know I didn't fall off the damn cliff_. I'm not Bella_. I actually possess some semblance of coordination." I stated.

No one said anything for a moment. But that moment seemed like an hour as the heavy silence descended on us. I could only take about a minute of it. "Am I missing something more important than the vampire army, or should we just get on with it?" I asked sharply. I had been running purely on adrenaline for too long.

Paul muttered something about someone needing to grow the hell up, Jared elbowed him roughly. Sam sighed. "Okay. Vampire army. Why in the hell is there a _vampire army_?"

I offered a humorless half-laugh. "Because hell hath no fury like a vampire heartbroken." I retorted. Paul snorted.

"Heartbroken? Like the leeches have _feelings_? Give me a freaking break." I glared at him, daring him to cross me. I might be incapacitated, but I was not going to let a massive fur ball push me around.

"Vampires mate for life. You kill one half of one of those equations, you better be damn sure you do away with the other half too. Or it'll be hell to pay… The Cullens killed Victoria's mate a year or so ago I think. She's out for revenge. Of the spectacular variety." I explained.

"Well that's fantastic. What do we do?" Jared asked, clearly directing his question at Sam. The Alpha fell heavily into the armchair across from the sofa I was currently occupying. He seemed to think hard for a minute or two.

"Evie?" He finally muttered. I knew what he was asking.

"The Cullens want to rework the treaty. Make the line less… rigid? So that we have the flexibility to keep the humans on _both_ sides safe. And Jasper wants your pack to meet him and the rest of them in the woods tonight… He used to have regular dealings with vampire armies, and he has some pointers for you guys. They understand if you don't want to get involved… but know before you decide that there're over two dozen vampires in Seattle. There's no way that the eight of us can hold them all off indefinitely." I stated.

"Wouldn't you say it's more like seven and a half?" Paul snarked. I started to laugh, until I realized that my throat and my chest were burning with the saltwater that I had swallowed. My laugh turned into a cough so I settled for a smirk instead.

"Hmmm…you're right…seven and a half…Edward can't fight worth a damn." I said lightly.

Jared and Paul roared in laughter. Sam held back his smile but I could see the light dancing in his eyes. Seth chuckled, his chest vibrating below my cheek.

"What's your problem with him anyway? I mean, besides the fact that he's a bloodsucking demon?" Paul asked after he had regained his composure. I quirked an eyebrow.

"What, that's not enough?" I asked critically, sending them into another round of laughter. "Seriously though, I don't have a problem with him, per se. I would just rather he acted the 100-something years old that he is and not put Bella Swan in the middle of all of this bull shit. I've met her dad, her friends. They're good people. She shouldn't want to be a vampire. And she _wouldn't_ want to if not for him. Obviously though, I mean, it's their business. I'm here to run interference, not get involved with the high school love triangle from hell." I quipped.

"Touché." Seth retorted.

"About that… The other hunters you mentioned yesterday…" Sam said, his words trailing off.

"Shit. Forget them for half a minute. Ya'll need to prioritize. I would say 1. Vampire Army. 2. Victoria 3. Whatever issues you need to settle with the Cullens about the treaty and how it concerns the turning of humans into vampires. 4. John Winchester." I said, ticking the numbers off on my fingers.

"Well if you're such a badass then why does the hunter _you're_ so afraid of rank _fourth_?" Paul asked patronizingly. I glared.

"Because I _am_ such a badass." I snapped. "John Winchester would _end_ you, if he knew about your existence. And if he realized that there was an army of new vampires in Seattle? Anything and everything supernatural within two hundred miles of the city would be done for. But _I'm_ not going to let that happen; got it? If it comes down to it, I'll…deal…with John." I said, turning my face into Seth's side to hide the wince that accompanied the words.

"Deal with him?" Sam asked, and I could hear the doubt in his voice.

I willed myself to keep my voice and my expression calm, even as my insides twisted sickeningly. "Yes, Sam. I will deal with him. I will break every law that hunters have adhered to for centuries. I will do what I need to do—and then get as far the hell away from this place as I can. They will come for me, and sooner or later they will find me. But I'll be damned if they find you guys too." I said, the promise ringing in my words.

"Whoa, whoa. Who said anything about leaving?" Seth asked, sounding distressed. I bit back my grin. He was a cutie. Pulling back from his sauna-like grasp, I glanced around at each of the four werewolves.

"It's okay. Really. Hunters don't have homes. Not truly. Transience is part of the job description. We get the bad guys and we move on. I'll help deal with Victoria, because honestly, that psycho has it coming. And I'll help you coordinate with the vampires to get rid of her newborn army in Seattle. Because that madness is so not cool. And if it comes down to it and John Winchester's interference is what tips the balance between winning and losing this fight, I will eliminate him from the equation. But even if he doesn't show, I'm gone as soon the threats have been neutralized. Once it's safe I won't belong here anymore." I said simply, though the thought of actually having to 'deal' with John Winchester was making me physically ill.

Sam's level gaze held mine for a minute. "But you can't! I mean, what about—" Seth's words were cut off by the swift glare that was turned in his direction as Sam looked from me to him.

"Seth, let it go." He demanded. I was honestly too tired to be confused. "Evie." He continued, turning back to me. "You should get back to your room; get out of those clothes before you get sick. Get some sleep, and then tell the Cullens that we are willing to negotiate. I realize the threat is imminent, but the demo is going to have to wait a day or two. We have…something else we need to deal with first."

I eyed him critically. "Something more important than the band of bloodthirsty newborns headed for town at some indeterminable point in the near future? Suit yourselves. I'll give you a call tomorrow." I said, forcing myself to stand, and quickly realizing that had been the wrong decision.

Swaying precariously, I counted to ten in my head slowly and breathed deeply. Willing my fingers to stop shaking, I stepped over into the kitchen, grabbed my keys from the counter and threw up a peace sign. "Hey, are you sure you're alright to drive? Maybe you should sit back down." Seth said, craning his neck over the back of the sofa where he was still sitting to give me a concerned look and gesturing to my recently vacated seat next to him.

I laughed it off lightly. "Yeah. I went for a swim, not a drink. I'm fine. I'll see you guys later." I said, and made the quickest exit I could manage.

* * *

Pulling my tired, abused body into the driver's seat of my pickup, I took my cell phone out of the glove box and scrolled through the missed calls.

Backing out of the drive and putting my truck on the highway, I accelerated quickly past the posted speed limit and focused on getting back to my motel room—and my bed—as quickly as possible. Deciding that I could multitask, I hit redial on the last missed call that I had.

"Yo, B. What's up?" I asked, hoping my voice didn't betray how exhausted and frustrated and confused I was.

Apparently I didn't need to worry about it. She sounded equally, if not more, distraught than I felt. "There was _someone_ in my room Evie. A non-human someone. I have tried calling you a dozen times, where have you been?" She asked.

"Cliff diving." I retorted, and then continued before she could respond. "You're at the Cullen place, right? You should probably just stay there for now. I don't think Victoria will make her move yet… it's still too soon since we caught her off guard and I'm sure she's still reworking her plan. I'd bet she's just trying to screw with your head."

"You think? Well it's working. What about Charlie? He isn't safe if there are random vampires just dropping by my house." She asked. I could hear the panic bubbling in her voice, even through the static of the crappy cell reception.

"He'll be fine. The wolves are in. I think. So they'll pull the patrols around your house, double team it up with the Cullens. Everything will be okay." I sighed, wondering if I was lying to her. I already knew I was lying to myself about a thousand a two things.

"You talked them into it? How? Sam _hates_ the Cullens." I shrugged, pressing down a bit harder on the gas pedal.

"He does at that. But he hates the idea of a vampire army on its way to Forks even more. Trust me; he's going to do whatever he can to help. You should probably call down there and ask him when they want to reschedule tonight's training session, and get a patrol-pattern sketched out to keep Charlie safe." I told her.

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"I am going to go back to my motel room, take a hot shower, put on dry clothes, and sleep for a century." I grumbled, urging the speedometer on the dash up past 90 mph.

"Dry clothes? It only rained a little—wait, did you say _cliff diving_?" She asked, the disbelief obvious in her tone.

I started to laugh, but once again the laugh turned into a painful cough halfway through. I tried to breathe through the sandpaper that seemed to be coating my throat. "It was inadvertent, I assure you. But I better go B. I'll catch you later." I managed to gasp, before the coughing began again. Hitting the little red 'end' button I threw the phone onto the seat next to me.

My chest started to burn from the lack of oxygen, and my vision was swimming nauseatingly. I didn't see the way the road curved slightly to the left until I had run off the shoulder of the highway at over 70 miles an hour. Tightening my grip on the wheel, I yanked it to the left, my stomach dropping when I felt the steering wheel lock. The last thought I had before slamming sideways into the base of a large pine tree was_: Chapter 11: When the werewolf tells you to sit, for the love of god, sit. _

The darkness engulfed me again as my head cracked against something hard.

* * *

**so…who wants to bet that the doctor on duty in the E.R. **_**isn't**_** Carlisle? ha ha ha. buckle up lovelies, it's about to get wild. **

**p.s. reviews make me happy!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello again lovely readers! Thank you all for the reviews, it's really nice to know people are reading this story **** And **_**Kaoz**_**, when I am finished with this story I might be persuaded to publish the full list of chapters and summaries of how each lesson was learned in Evie's *book* as a companion piece oneshot. Stay tuned!**

**Now, on with the show! The sh*t is about to get real!**

* * *

Condition: Critical

_I am going to blast into the next realm whatever is making that incessant beeping noise. _

It was the only thought my foggy brain could make as I returned to consciousness. _Again_. I noted dryly to myself that I really needed to change something about my approach. If I kept checking out like this I wasn't going to make it through the week—battle or not.

I tried—unsuccessfully—to force my eyes to open. Whatever drugs had been pumped into my system were putting up a serious fight. It took me a few minutes to work through why I had drugs in my system…why I was obviously in a hospital room with a heart monitor louder than a drekavac's wail.

As I continued to struggle against the haze of chemicals affecting my brain, my awareness of my current situation strengthened. The fact that most of my body seemed numb was not encouraging—though it was better than the sharp sting that had settled into what I assumed was a gash across my cheek.

Memories began flooding back; first the cliff, the feeling of free-falling toward a watery grave. Then I realized that the fall wasn't the reason I was in my current predicament. Flashes of a curving road, a massive tree, and darkness plagued my semi-conscious mind.

My initial worry was for my truck. I had a mechanic back in Colorado, but the chances that I was going to be able to get it back there were slim to none. Uncle Dan had given me the pickup for my 15th birthday—there was no way I was parting with it.

Slowly, I realized that my truck's wasn't the only body damaged. I tried and failed repeatedly to make my fingers and toes move. _What the hell? Good job Evie. You really did it this time. Uncle Daniel would skin you alive. _

I continued on in this manner for the gods only know how long. I had no way of keeping time, and I wondered idly if this was what coma victims felt like.

Growing bored, I kicked my brain into the highest functioning gear I could manage and tried to remember exactly what had happened.

I remembered going over the cliff.

I remembered feeling like I was drowning.

I remembered waking up on Sam's sofa.

I remembered bickering with Paul.

I remembered Sam agreeing to negotiate with the Cullens.

I remembered Seth's warm arm around me—

… …

I remembered feeling like _we_ were drowning.

_I remembered—I remembered not being alone beneath the crashing waves._

_I remembered the way I had been saved from becoming a figurative bug on a metaphorical windshield by whoever absorbed the impact of the rough water  
after such a crazy drop._

_I remembered deciding it must have been Sam—literally going off the deep end about the vampire army._

_But I also _remembered_—I remembered the way Sam had shifted _away_ from me before I had gone over the edge. _

_I remembered the sensation of being pulled—pushed—shoved _away_ from Sam's shaking body. _

_Whoever had gone over that cliff with me—whoever had saved me—had been behind me, not next to me. _

Which meant one simple thing; it hadn't been Sam in the water with me.

_But then who the hell was it?_

* * *

_Fire licked at the frigid night sky. Unearthly screams echoed through the shadows as flame engulfed everything. _

_Wolves howled. _

_The moon shattered. _

Gasping, I tore myself out of the nightmare that had claimed me. "Werewolves." I growled to myself; shocked that I had regained the ability to control my body to the extent of being able to utter actual words—as opposed to the cynical inner monologue I had been resigned to before.

Forcing my still-aching body into a half-way sitting position, I struggled against my heavy eyelids until they opened—and then quickly snapped back shut at the harsh white light. With some caution and more determination, I slowly peeked out at the stark white room I was confined to.

Breathing through my mouth to avoid the smell of antiseptic cleanliness that pervaded hospitals and gave me a vicious knot in my stomach, I took careful stock of my surroundings.

The heart monitor I had wanted to annihilate earlier was still beeping—though not as loudly as I had remembered—but the pace seemed even, and I took what measure of comfort I could in that. There was sunlight streaming in the window, falling onto the laminated floor in an imperfect triangle of gold. The large wood door was shut, but the blinds were open, and nurses dressed in varying colors of scrubs hurrying past made me feel a little less like I was the only person left on the planet.

I wondered briefly how long I'd been out for. It seemed like days—weeks even. My body was weak; not a comforting feeling for someone that relied on quick reflexes and swift footwork to stay alive on a day-to-day basis.

Groaning, I forced myself to sit up fully as I reached for the IV stuck into the back of my left hand. I didn't like the foggy feeling that drugs of any sort seemed to cause.

Tossing the needle onto the floor, I swung my feet gingerly over the side of the bed; hoping that I had at least the strength to stand by myself. As my bare toes brushed the cool floor, the sound of the door opening caused me to cringe. Apart from law enforcement, doctors were a group of people I least liked dealing with.

A kindly looking old man with graying hair and a typical white lab coat get-up gave me a disapproving stare as he shut the door gently behind him. "My name is Dr. Marcos, and I must ask you to stay in that bed." He said, his voice soothing, but his words causing me to need to suppress an eye roll.

"Look, Doc… no offense or anything, but modern medicine isn't really my thing. So if it's all the same to you… I'll just be checking myself out and be on my way." I managed to curtly reply. I didn't add that hospitals freaked me out for the sheer number of supernatural entities that called such places home.

Clucking his tongue and gesturing at me to lay back down, the doctor moved further into the room. Wishing I was fully clothed and on my own two feet, I glared at him defiantly.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, young lady." He said, lifting the chart at the foot of the bed.

I snorted, but any effectiveness in the noise was offset by the coughing fit it caused.

The doctor shot me a disapproving look. I ignored it.

"Why not?" I demanded.

Tilting his head and surveying me with something I refused to recognize as pity, he explained, "You were found unconscious in a totaled vehicle on the 101 between here and Forks. You have two cracked ribs, a sprained wrist, abrasions on your face and a fracture in your collarbone. Not to mention the _severe_ concussion you have suffered. Like it or not kiddo, you are going to be stuck in here for a while. Now, let's start with the basics. Where exactly were you headed in such a hurry?"

I tried to think of a good excuse…of any excuse, really, to be driving without a license, with no registration or valid insurance, and no emergency contact info.

I was coming up blank.

"Look—if you would just…call Dr. Cullen, I'm sure he'll get this sorted out." I muttered. And subsequently had to refrain from facepalming. Since when did I need vampires to fight my battles for me?

Looking at me with concern, the doctor answered slowly. "Dr. Cullen? Miss, we do not have a doctor here by that name. However, if you would like us to contact your primary care physician, we are more than happy to do that—"

I didn't let him finish his thought. "What do you mean, there's no one here by that name?" I asked, panic quickly burning through my veins as what exactly the doctor had previously said echoed through my aching head. I was found on the highway between _here_ and Forks. Which meant I wasn't in Forks. So then where the hell was I?

He smiled sympathetically as I proceeded to have a mental meltdown. "I have worked here for nearing forty years now. We have never had a doctor on staff by the name of Cullen. But as I said, if you would like me to call your primary, I would gladly do so."

I shook my head violently to clear away some of the crazy—but only succeeded in making my headache worse. "If I'm not at the Forks Community Hospital, then where am I?" I asked, hating the tremble in my voice.

The doctor gave me a strange look. "Your vehicle was totaled on Highway 101 about halfway between Port Angeles and Forks. The first responders could tell that you had suffered head trauma, and after they were able to stabilize you at the scene, they brought you to the Olympic Medical Center here in Port Angeles—we have a larger neurology department than Forks Community does." He responded, glancing over the chart in his hands again. "Luckily, you didn't suffer any truly significant brain damage." He added.

The full weight of everything Dr. Marcos was telling me crashed onto my psyche all at once. I had just gotten my ass kicked by a tree. A tree. Never in my life had I wound up in the hospital because of something as benign as a _tree_. And yet, here I was. Cracked ribs. Totaled vehicle. Fractured collarbone. Sprained wrist. Totaled vehicle. Severe concussion. _Totaled vehicle_.

"Where in the hell is my truck?" I snapped, causing the good doctor's eyes to go wide. Clearing his throat, he fixed me with a stern gaze over the glasses perched on his nose. "Miss Winchester, I assure you, there are bigger things to worry about than the state of your pickup truck." He reprimanded.

Shock tore through me. "W-w-what did you just call me?" I stuttered. I knew it. I was in some sort of wicked nightmare. Fire and shadows would be less frightening than this scenario_. Nice work, subconscious. Touché_.

"Evelyn Winchester. That is your name, is it not? You did not seem to have any identification on you when you were brought in, but your cellular phone was located at the scene of the accident. The contacts in the list did not have names attached to them, but we dialed each until we got an answer. Luckily it was your brother…Dean? He says he's on his way." The doctor told me, smiling as though he had just made my freaking day.

Wondering if it was even possible for things to get any worse, I inhaled and exhaled deeply, ignoring the burn in my throat. "How long, exactly, have I been here?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound as utterly panicked as I felt.

Dr. Marcos glanced at his watch. "About twenty-two hours." He said, as a sharp rap on the door claimed his attention. Moving to open it, I continued breathing deeply past the ache in my throat, my chest, and my head.

"Mr. Winchester, I presume? I'm glad you have arrived." Stepping back, he allowed Dean Winchester to saunter into my hospital room.

"Hey _trouble_—looks like you've gotten yourself into quite the scrape this time." He said, eyes twinkling with something I could only hope was humor, and not fury.

"You have no idea." I managed to bite out; as the panic continued to burn through my system.

Moving over and sinking down next to me on the bed, Dean casually slid his arm around my shoulder. Pulling me into his side, he spoke softly enough that the doctor still standing by the door had no hope of catching his words.

"Oh, but I do. Sammy's waiting for us in Forks." He muttered back, the burn of panic turning to the ice of sheer terror in my veins. I had no plan for this. No excuses. No story. Just an endless supply of cynicism and sarcasm to shield myself from the roughest parts of my job and my life.

"Joy to the freaking world."


End file.
